The Only
by Master-Roku
Summary: Kat had done the research. She'd seen the videos, heard the songs, and played the game. She'd felt the fear and the curiosity that Slenderman caused. Now, thanks to Ria, she finally met the one she'd searched for. She was his newest proxy...What does this mean for her and her future? Follow her and find out!
1. Chapter 1

**How It Happened**

Kat hadn't expected to find her dream so soon. She'd never imagined that she'd meet someone who truly knew of him in person. At the most, she'd thought she'd keep searching for a few years and eventually happen upon him, or vise versa, in the woods somewhere in the world. Needless to say, she was surprised and elated when Ria brought her to Slenderman. She wasn't sure how to feel when he marked her, though. She was his, whether she wanted it or not.

He'd taken her away from the others without a word. Taken her somewhere dark for a few seconds, then appeared right back at her home. Kat turned to ask him what was going on, but he was gone. She shrugged, getting a feeling inside. She knew what to do without having to be told. It took almost six hours, but she'd finally sorted out all of her things. All her art, writing, and most precious memories or personal items were packed neatly and securely in boxes. She wrote a short letter to her best friend, telling her that she was going away and that she would be ok and stuffed it onto her pocket. The second Kat taped the last box up, Slenderman returned. He took her things in his tendrils and took them both away again. Kat held his hand and walked beside him in the darkness.

"Can I deliver this to my friend real quick?" Kat pulled the letter out.

Slender made a mm-hm noise. They arrived at her friend's house where Kat placed the letter carefully in the mailbox. She gave the place a last look before following Slenderman into the darkness once again.

"Where are we going?" she asked quietly.

"To your new home. This is were you will stay unless I decide otherwise," he answered as they arrived at a cabin. It was an old fashioned log cabin with only about thirty or so feet of cleared ground around it. The cabin was rather large, with a second story and lots of windows. It looked like it could have been very cozy at one point, but now it just looked creepy and dusty. Kat stared at it as they approached.

"Anyone else stay here?" she asked.

"No," Slender shook his head, "There are others...but they are far from here. I find it best to keep them separate from one another."

"How many are there?" Kat followed him into the cabin.

"Eleven," he said.

Kat's eyebrows went up. She wasn't sure if that number was smaller or larger than what she might have thought. She looked around the dark room they had entered. There was a fireplace, an old couch, a two chairs to match, two lamps, a small table with two chairs, and a desk. All the windows were covered with dark blue curtains. There was nothing on the walls, no rugs on the floors, no decoration of any sort. Kat looked up to the ceiling, discovering a light with an old fashioned dome over it.

"I'll be here alone?" Kat's brow's knitted together.

"Mostly," Slenderman.

"Yippee," Kat sighed.

Slender set her things down on the floor. He reached over to the wall and flicked the light on. Kat blinked, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Kat saw a door on the right side of the room and an open doorway to the left. The open doorway led to what looked like a kitchen. Kat explored while Slenderman watched her. The door led to a bedroom with a queen size bed and a dresser. There was a small bathroom connected to the bedroom. Kat knew this would be the room she would stay in.

Slender led her up the stairs for the rest of the tour. There were two other bedrooms, another bathroom, and a library. There was no attic or crawlspace. Kat felt relieved at that for some reason. There wasn't a basement either. Kat was already making plans for the place in her head by the time they made it back downstairs. Slenderman sat in one of the chairs and motioned for her to sit on the couch. Kat almost laughed at the sight of him scrunched up in the seat.

"Do you understand what has happened to you?" Slender asked.

"I do," Kat nodded.

"You realize you can't go back? You are mine. I own you," Slender said.

"Yes..." Kat sighed.

"There will be a time very soon when you will have to prove yourself. One of my kind will come here to see if you are worthy of being mine," Slenderman told her.

"If I'm 'worthy' of you?" Kat almost scoffed, "Isn't that for _you_ to decide?"

"It is, but as close to me as you'll be, they will be wary. They do not like humans to stand beside us," he said.

Kat stared into the empty fireplace. She couldn't help but feel fear. Even after killing that creature, she was afraid and very respectful of Slenderman. She didn't want to make him or anyone like him mad. What kind of trial would she go through? What had the others had to go through? Would it be deadly? Slender could practically see the wheels in her head turning.

"You will have time to prepare yourself for the trial," he said.

Kat turned back to him, "Will you help me?"

"Yes. Get some sleep now, child. I will begin your training tomorrow," Slenderman patted the couch cushions.

Kat hesitated for a moment. She looked around the room then back at her new boss. Slender guessed what was on her mind. He didn't even had to go into it to see she was afraid of something.

"I will stay here for the night."

Kat smiled inwardly and made herself comfortable on the couch. It smelled as old as it looked, but she was asleep in no time. The sun woke her the next morning, to her surprise. One of the curtains had been pulled back to let the light in. Kat got up from the couch with a groan. She should have gone to the bedroom instead. Looking around, Kat noticed some changes in her environment.

Most of her boxes were unpacked and stacked against a wall. Her paintings, awards, and diploma were hung around the living room and bedroom walls. Some of them she couldn't find and guessed had been hung upstairs. Her clothes were all put away in the bedroom's dresser. All her books were gone from the boxes along with her knick knacks and such. She found those things in the library. Her books were neatly sorted out on the shelves. Her notebooks were beside them. There was a lot of room for more Kat noticed happily. When she went to the bathroom she found that it had been stocked with the essentials. Toilet paper, toothpaste, the works.

Kat grinned when she saw the huge pile of firewood stacked next to the fireplace. There were a few dishes in the cupboards, and soaps to wash them and her hands with. The whole house had everything she would need. The only thing missing now was the person who had put it all there. Kat found him outside, carrying a truck load of chopped wood in his arms. He stacked it all very neatly on the back patio, which Kat was delighted to see. There was a railing going around the whole thing except where the three stairs to the ground were. There was room enough on the patio for a table or maybe a small pool.

"Good morning," Kat greeted her boss.

"Good morning," he brushed off his sleeves.

"What's the first thing we have to do today?" Kat asked.

"The first thing _you_ must do is eat a proper meal," Slender nudged her toward the kitchen with the back of his hand.

Kat rolled her eyes. She made herself a couple eggs and pancakes and washed it down with a glass of milk. Slender nodded his approval of her meal. He had Kat change into clothes that weren't nearly demolished. She'd forgotten how messed up they were. Once she was changed, he took her into the woods and led her to a huge clearing with short grass and a huge downed tree right in the middle. Most of the branches were gone from the tree, leaving only a hollowing trunk. Kat smiled a little at the pretty scene. On the far side of the clearing was a small lake. Kat figured she could walk around it in about an hour or less.

"What's first?" she asked, sitting on a boulder on the beach .

"First, you must learn to find me without your eyes," Slenderman answered.

Those were the last words Kat heard from him for the rest of the day. She had to follow him wherever he went without seeing him. She had to track him down by only sensing the energy he gave off, which wasn't easy since he cold hide it from her. Kat smirked to herself as she compared him to a Saiyan from Dragon Ball Z. She didn't have any time to get used to finding him once she figured out how as he turned the tables on her and made her avoid him. She felt like she was in the game now, playing Slender without the pages. She screamed the first two times he appeared in front of her. By the end of the day, Kat's nerves were raw and wired. She didn't relax until she was cooking dinner for herself and Slender finally spoke again.

"Make a lunch for yourself for tomorrow," he said.

"What should I have in it?" Kat asked as she finished cooking.

"That's up to you," he answered.

Slenderman didn't stay that night or for the next twelve nights after that. Kat spent almost two weeks training with him. She learned to track him and avoid him. She learned how to resist his tendrils when they held her or lifted her from the ground. Kat also had to relearn how to run again. Before he'd begun his teaching, she couldn't even run a block without getting winded and having to stop. Now, she was able to run for minutes at a time. The method to motivation that Slender found most useful for him was to run after her, tendrils flaring wildly. Kat almost always laughed when they stopped, but he knew there was still real terror at the start.

Slender taught Kat how to sense when he was entering her mind. He taught her something he'd never taught anyone else...how to _block_ him from getting in. Kat was able to pick up this skill rather quickly, and found a way to use it when they played "hide and seek" in the woods.

Despite the hard work she was going through, and the impending trial, Kat was happy. Every time her boss told her she did something well she smiled. She grew to be less and less afraid of him over time. Even when he appeared out of thin air, she was less startled to see him and more pleased that he was there. Slenderman noticed the change in her. She was more open with him in her mannerisms and the way she spoke. She ventured to touch and hug him more often but almost always made sure she had permission first.

When it had been three weeks since he'd taken her away Kat's trial came. Kat was at the lake's edge alone when a loud crack got her attention. A tree branch had been ripped from a nearby tree and thrown into the water. Kat turned to see a figure standing no more than ten feet away. The figure appeared to be female. She was bald and featureless, like Slenderman. She was about twelve feet tall, wearing something that looked like black, skin tight body suit and a wispy, translucent, gray cape. The cape was in tatters. It was as if a cat had spent it's whole life tearing at it. Kat swallowed hard. This woman didn't feel friendly in the slightest. She had no face, but Kat knew she was glaring at her.

"A new toy...hasn't he got enough?" she hissed in a venomous voice.

"There's only _one_ of me," shrugged cockily.

She didn't care if this woman was ready to rip her to bits. She'd waited for too long to find Slenderman and she wasn't about to give up what she had now.

"Careful, there might be none if you don't watch that tone," the woman shot back.

Kat just smirked. She didn't feel as confident as she looked. The woman might have guessed that if she hadn't blocked her from her mind. The woman advanced on Kat, outstretching a sharp hand. Kat moved away from her quickly. The woman only laughed at her. She dove for her now, but again, Kat moved. She ran into the trees and kept going until the woman was out of sight. She remembered all that her boss had taught her. She concentrated on the woman's energy while she hid. The woman bounced around the woods in her search for Kat. Kat didn't have to move even once.

"So, you can hide? Can you hide your _mind_ from me?" the woman called out.

She was just fifteen yards away now. Kat could feel a strange sensation in her head. She was dizzy and lightheaded. She knew that the woman was trying to read her thoughts so she could find her. Kat did her best to block her again. She had to force herself not to laugh when the woman snarled in anger. She heard her snap some branches and throw them around.

"That's a nice trick, girl. What trick do you have to stop me from tearing you apart?" she growled.

Kat shivered in fear at the sound of her voice. With that her cover was blown. The woman popped up right in Kat's face. She snatched her from the ground without a second thought. Kat struggled against the restraining tendrils to no avail. They wound around her throat and began to choke the life from her.

"You're just a toy. A tool..." the woman hissed at her.

Kat thought her vision was going to go black. She blinked a few times and realized that it wasn't her vision. The world had in fact gone dark around them. The trees had disappeared. The sounds of the birds and wind had stopped. The woman released Kat from her deadly grip without warning. Kat fell for a second and was caught again. Her arms and legs were pulled away from her body by several pairs of hands that didn't belong to the woman in front of her. She fought against them despite the terrible pain it caused her. She was sure she'd pulled something out of socket.

"Just a toy..." the woman repeated, "Slenderman's...little..._toy_."

"DAMN RIGHT!" Kat yelled.

The hands stopped pulling her. The woman tilted her head in slight surprise.

"What?" she took a step toward the human.

"I said...that's _damn_ _right_!" Kat barked.

She pulled with only her legs now. This worked better than trying to free her whole body. Kat silently rejoiced for the muscles in her legs.

"I am _Slenderman's_ toy. His tool. His _proxy_! He's my boss, my _master_! I wanted to meet him for so long, and I finally got my chance thanks to a good friend. I even got _this_," Kat touched her chin to her chest, indicating Slender's mark, "I never thought I would! I've gotten more than I could have dreamed! I'm glad for it! I'm _proud_ to be his toy! I will be no other's. I don't give a _shit..._what you do to me, I will _never_ go back on that."

Kat glared right into the empty face of the woman. She was finally able to kick her legs free shocking her captors enough to drop her. Kat hit the ground hard. She struggled to her knees and stared up at the woman. The woman stared back down at her. Kat couldn't tell what was going to happen next. She waited for the woman to move or to speak, but that didn't happen. She just disappeared, leaving Kat back in the woods by herself.

It was dark in the woods now. Kat was confused by this as she made her way back to the cabin. It had only been early afternoon when the woman had arrived. Slenderman was waiting on the patio for her. She ran to him and hugged him, forgetting to ask permission. He didn't seem to mind and hugged her back.

"You did well," he said.

At beamed up at him. She told him what ad happened while she was in the dark place. He explained to her that that place had been his realm. The place where his kind lived. Without knowing it, Kat had been touched by more than ten others of Slender's kind. That wasn't the part that surprised her. She was floored when he told her that she'd been there for almost sixteen hours. Kat went to bed that night feeling happier than she'd ever felt before. Slenderman stayed with her this time. Now he could train her to do the tasks he had planned for her.


	2. Chapter 2

**New Job**

Kat was slightly surprised when Slenderman took her to a small town the day after her trial. He had her dress in a gray hooded sweatshirt and long, dark jeans. She didn't entirely understand this until she realized that it would be bad for anyone to recognize her.

She had been correct in thinking she'd been hurt. Slender sent her to the hospital with orders to return to him as soon as she was taken care of. The E.R. Doctor bandaged her left arm and shoulder and put it in a sling. Kat felt awkward walking through the town with her arm out of service. She had no idea where she was or what she was supposed to do there. Having everyone she passed stare at her wasn't making things any easier. She wished desperately that she had a mask or some full body armor. Anything to hide her face from these strangers. The only thing that made her feel any better was the quiet and secrecy the trees allowed her once she reached them.

Her boss was waiting for her in a thicket of trees that made him nearly impossible to see. Kat greeted him with a lackluster wave and tapped her bandaged arm. Slender leaned down to inspect what had been done.

"Nothing was broken?" he asked.

"No. Just pulled a muscle really bad. I can take it out of the sling tomorrow, but I have to wrap it up every day for the next week unless it still hurts," Kat said.

"You can still do the task I have set for you," Slender nodded, mostly to himself.

"What _is_ this task?" Kat asked.

Slender waved his hand to Kat's right. She could see a path a few yards away. There was think brush between the path and the trees. Kat watched a group of for men walk toward them. They were chattering loudly, carrying what looked like six packs of beer. One man had fallen behind the others. He stumbled more than them and was the only one that didn't appear to be having a good time.

"Jake, c'mon! We gotta get going before my wife calls and starts bitchin'!" the man at the front of the group called back to him.

"I'm comin'..." Jake huffed.

The three others passed by where Kat and Slender were and left Jake trailing behind. Kat felt a bad vibe from the lagging man. She grimaced and looked up at her boss.

"Bring him to me," Slenderman said.

Kat looked at Jake, now very close, then to where Slender had been. She sighed, wishing he'd tell her when he was going to disappear. Jake stumbled on the path again. By the time he'd righted himself Kat as in front of him with her best innocent look on her face. Jake blinked as if she was an illusion.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I need some help. I'm camping not too far from here," Kat pointed in the direction that she felt her boss' energy coming from, "But my friend ditched me and with my arm like this I can't get all of my stuff to go home."

Jake gave her the ugliest shit eating grin she'd ever seen. Kat fought hard not to gag. He slunk toward her as best he could in his inebriated state. He dropped the can he'd been holding as he straightened himself up.

"I can help ya, Miss. Where'd ya leave it all?" he asked.

"Back this way," Kat turned and started down the path toward her boss.

Jake, unknowing of his coming fate, followed her with a smug look on his face. Kat silently cursed Slenderman for making her deal with such a freak. She hoped that she wouldn't always have to deal with his type. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Jake sped up to walk beside her and chat.

"So, what are you doing out here all by yerself with a messed up arm, anyway?" Jake snickered, "Kinda dangerous, dontcha think?"

He leaned toward Kat a bit. Kat sidestepped away form him while maintaining a straight face.

"Not nearly as dangerous as other stuff I've done. Besides, if anything were to happen to me, I've got someone I can rely on to help me out," Kat shrugged nonchalantly.

"Really? He as good a friend as the one who ditched you?" Jake snorted.

"No..." Kat grinned, "He's far better."

She'd sensed Slenderman's presence very close to them. He could undoubtedly see and hear them by now. Jake saw her smile and cast her a cynical look. Kat paid his expression no mind. She stopped for a second to rub away a sharp pain in her shoulder. Jake saw this as an opening and moved to put a hand on her injured arm. Kat flinched to get away from him but his grip became vice like.

"Let me help ya with that..." he husked.

"Get your hands _off_ me!" Kat landed a hard kick to his chest.

Jake flew back into a nearby tree. He gasped for breath and glared at her. He stepped forward as if he was going to attack her, but he never made it to his target. Slenderman had snatched him from the ground by his throat. He dangled Jake at arms length from him and looked down at Kat. Jake gasped and panted, unable to scream or cry out. Kat stared up at the faceless man and awaited his next order.

"You've done well so far. Now, go to his friends and deliver this," Slenderman handed her folded pieces of paper.

Kat inspected the papers. It was a missing persons poster and a letter. She nodded, turning to go. Slender stopped her briefly.

"Cover your face," he said.

Kat searched her pockets for anything that could help. Slender handed her a black handkerchief and pushed her back lightly. Kat tied the handkerchief around her face and jogged off to where she'd last seen the group of men with Jake. The man from before was walking down the path toward her when she arrived. He looked rather annoyed. He spotted Kat and stopped dead in his tracks. His face changed from annoyed to slightly intimidated. It must have been the bandit look.

"Hey...Have you seen a guy around here? He's wearing a t-shirt and shorts...kinda drunk?" the man asked.

Kat didn't reply. She walked up to him and handed him the papers. He took them from her, looking confused. She nodded and ran back to her boss as quickly as she could. Once or twice she heard the man call for her to come back, but she knew better than to stop or turn back. That letter had really been a journal entry written by Jake. It was a secret confession to a horrible crime. The little girl in the missing poster was his murder victim. She was only four..._had_ only been four.

Slenderman was still where she'd left him. Jake was nowhere to be seen. Kat shook the thoughts of his punishment from her head and took her boss' hand as he led her back home. He left her that night with instructions to make herself an outfit of some sort. Something she could wear that would allow her to hide at night. He suggested a mask as well. Kat already knew what it would look like. She had her outfit chosen and the mask completed by the time he arrived three days later. She'd stuck with the dark pants, cargos rather than jeans, and chosen a black denim jacket that was just one size too big. Her mask was a simple one. It was an oval shape and had his mark on it. The mark took up most of the mask. It was the only there thing besides the eye holes. Slender gave her his approval.

Kat was given two more jobs that week. She found that she had no problem doing what she was told. Despite her torn muscle and the fact that she was lonely at night, she was still happy. She felt as if what sanity she'd had before meeting Slenderman had either been false, or seriously misinterpreted by her. She knew Jake was dead. That had been no secret. She knew that she had literally walked him to his death. Kat also knew that that man had been a killer and possibly more. Despite the fear she should have felt, despite the darkness of her situation, Kat was at peace. She would continue to do as he asked so long as it meant she could stay in his good graces.

The first of the two jobs she had was to tail some guy. She spent the whole day following him around a city she didn't know. She lost him a few times, feeling very annoyed with the lack of information she had. Her boss hadn't told her who he was or why she was following him, just to do so without being seen. At the end of that day she had to tell her boss everything he'd done right down to how long he'd spent in a department store.

The next job was much harder. Luckily, her arm and shoulder were doing very well when it was time for her to begin. She'd been assigned to follow a group of teens in the woods. They were all carrying cameras or other bits of recording equipment. Some of them had masks or costumes on. They were acting out a cheesy Slenderman video. They were making him and Tim from Marble Hornets out to be "Rapping Rapists." Kat was infuriated by this. As the fake "Masky" dry humped a baby doll, she found a large branch and crept silently through the dark trees to the offending teens. She watch in disgust as a flat chested girl pretended to be an eight year old and was "raped" by the fake Slenderman. She held her breath until the right moment came along. When the boy behind the main camera called for a pause, Kat burst from the trees and started swinging.

The teens hadn't come out into the woods at night defenseless. One had a small knife and another had a tripod that he used as a bat. The girl was screaming bloody murder. It was music to Kat's ears. She deserved what she was a bout to get. Kat knocked the girl and the "Masky" out first. She got a cut on her bad arm before she was able to take the knife wielding boy down. Now she had to deal with the fake Slenderman and the main camera boy. They were both screaming profanities at her and had their fists up, ready to fight. Kat just laughed behind her mask and shook her head.

"You really should watch yourselves, boys. It's not nice to mock people like that," she said lowly.

"_Fuck_ you!" the camera boy yelled, taking a swing at her.

Kat kneed him hard in the gut. He fell to the ground gasping for air. She stared at the fake Slenderman and he stared back, presumably in shock. He hadn't had the time or the thought to take off his mask when she'd begun her attack.

"Who the hell are you?!" he cried.

His voice had cracked with fear. Kat laughed aloud at this. She tapped her mask to give him a hint.

"I'm someone who knows better. You wanna play like Slendy? Maybe you should get some acting tips from the real deal..." Kat nodded her head, indicating that he should look behind him.

The boy turned to face her boss. He stood there silently and stared down at the little impudent imposter. The boy screamed and ran, forgetting where Kat was. She stuck out her arm and clotheslined him. He fell to the ground with a satisfying thud. Kat looked down at him. She grinned like a madman behind her mask. The real Slenderman was gone already. She knew what to do without being told. Kat set to work destroying all the tapes they'd brought. She decided to keep the cameras for herself. She shredded the masks and the jacket to the Slenderman costume. All she left the teens where their flashlights.

It took a while, but Kat managed to drag each person in a different direction and leave them all separated by at least fifty yards. With that, the bruises, and terrifying experience Kat felt as if it was enough of a punishment for their mockery. Besides, their parents were sure to be furious when they returned home late, beaten and dirty.

Kat found her boss waiting for her back where the teens had been filming. He held out is hand to her and they began their walk back to the cabin. Kat looked up at him in the darkness, smiling. He looked down at her. Kat knew his expressions well by now. He was waiting for her to tell him what was on her mind.

"We oughtta go out for ice cream sometime," Kat joked.

The next thing she knew she was standing next to a park bench near an ice cream stand. It was only sunset here, so they must have moved to a different timezone. She'd never even sensed a change in their location. Slender gave her a nudge.

"I...didn't mean _right_ _now_...I don't have any money..." Kat patted her pocket.

Two of her jacket pockets were now loaded with the two cameras. She shrugged at her boss. He laughed quietly and pulled her hand to him. He dropped a pile of change into her open palm. He nudged her back again. Kat blinked up at him in shock. Where had he been hiding that?

"What do you like?" she asked.

"Surprise me."

Kat laughed to herself as she approached the stand. She ordered two medium french vanilla cones. She paid with the change, which just happened to be the exact right amount, and trotted back to her boss. He took his cone in one hand, and her free hand in the other. They walked on in the area as the sun set. Kat licked her cone happily. She felt sort of like a child who had just been treated for getting a good grade in class. She smiled at Slenderman. Her smile was very short lived. She had not expected to see what she did when she looked up. It must have been the creepiest and coolest thing she'd ever seen Slenderman do.

**A/N: Oops, did I make a cliffhanger there? Sorry. Muah hahahahaha! What did she see? Find out later!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: What are you guys thinkin' so far? Any questions you want answered right now? By the way, you may or may not have noticed that when talking about Slendy in the last chapter he was referred to as "Slenderman", "Slender", and "her boss." This is because Kat is still in the stages of seeing where she stands with him and is trying to figure out what to think of him as on a regular basis. Shout outs to the few who read and reviewed:**

**DreamingMyDream – Yeah, it'd have been weird to make him OOC...Lol, your review made me laugh. And shake my head. NO MAGGOTS! I effin _HATE_ those!**

**WekerSlayer99 – I love toying with your emotions.**

**Supernovart123 – You'll find out...muah ha haaaa!**

**Aninmeguard – Here you go...**

**Still Learning**

Kat stared up at her boss with a look of pure amazement. His face had split open right where a mouth belonged. It was a smooth opening that sounded something like wet clay being cut or pulled apart. A long, cherry red tongue protruded from his new, smooth lips and laved the ice cream in his hand. Kat forgot about her own treat as she watched him.

"I wanna _touch_ it," she blurted in a goofy tone.

Slenderman twitched and looked down at her. Her ice cream had begun to melt and run over her fingers. He reached down to take her ice cream hand in his and licked the sweet drippings from her knuckles. Kat felt the smooth, wet muscle glide over her skin and squealed quietly with her mouth clamped shut. It reminded her of her old pet rat's tongue in texture. The gesture had surprised her. She couldn't help but imagine him throwing her in a cooking pot later like in an old cartoon.

"Eat before it all melts," Slender told her.

Kat obeyed without another word. When they got back to the cabin she sat at the table in the living room treating her cut while Slenderman walked around the house. He did this every time he came now. Kat had asked him what he was doing the first time but had only gotten shushed in response. She bandaged the cut and put her supplies away. Slender walked in seemingly satisfied with whatever he'd done. He stared at Kat for a moment as if he was thinking of something. Kat tilted her head questioningly. Her boss merely shrugged a little.

"Do we have another job tomorrow?" Kat asked.

"No. I have run myself ragged over this time with you. You've been injured enough now. We both need to take a break. No more jobs for you...and I need a rest as well," he answered.

He sat in the chair across from her at the table. He really did look tired. He wasn't as poised as before. Kat could have sworn she could see bags beginning to form where his eyes would have been. She didn't say anything of it. She respected Slenderman too much to make any remarks that might upset or offend him. She'd been with him only for a short while, but she loved him to death and didn't want to disappoint him in any way.

At this point, Kat was allowed to hug him at least once a day so long as they weren't doing something at that time. Whenever he sat in the chair on the left side of the couch, he either had her sit between his legs on the floor or on the couch right beside him. Kat wasn't sure if she should think of it as affection or protection. Maybe she was still in danger somehow. She mulled this over as she walked around the table to him. She hugged him from behind, laying her head on his strong shoulder. He put one of his hands over both of his on his chest.

"Don't go worrying about training me for bow, Boss. You've taught me a lot, and I think I'm pretty well off if you leave me by my lonesome for a little while," Kat mumbled into his shoulder blade.

"True, but we still have one thing left to do," Slender told her.

"What?" she released him.

"Ria needs us now. She will be facing a trial of her own soon," he stood up.

"Really? Why?" Kat quirked a brow.

"Take a guess," he chuckled.

"Gotcha. Wow. I thought they'd cave. Guess I better get some rest," Kat stretched.

Slenderman nodded. He sat on the couch while she went to bed and slept. He slept a little himself, but only when he was sure she was sleeping deeply. He didn't like having her on the other side of the door, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.

Kat was very excited to go to see Ria and Splendorman the next night. She grinned the whole way there and was extra bouncy. Ria let them in through a window in the living room. Slenderman knew he could have used a door, but this way was more entertaining. Especially where Kat was concerned. She liked the idea of crawling through a window. It made her feel like she was breaking in. They explained Ria's situation to her and they and Splendy started training her the next day. They spent five days running Ria through all the tests and drills that Kat had gone through. Ria had it easier than Kat, what with Splendy being her main teacher. He was soft with her and comforted her when she messed something up. He wasn't so willing to put her through harsh tests as his younger brother and his proxy.

Slenderman and Splendy took care of teaching her to sense and read emotions and tracking them when they were out of sight, while Kat put her through more physical tests. Slender was proud of her when he watched her train the other girl. She was rather harsh and forceful, but she got Ria going and kept her going. She pushed the girl, telling her that she was lucky to have it easy. Slender would have been insulted if he hadn't known that Kat appreciated everything he'd done. She'd only told him so a thousand times. While they trained Ria, Slenderman also had Kat go through the drills secretly. He wanted both girls to be ready, just in case anything unexpected happened.

Donovan showed up during one of Ria's lessons about getting away from them one day and had a panic attack. He'd walked in right when Slender had been holding Ria up in the air. The idea was to teach Ria how to fight against their tendrils and get away. She'd been fighting him hard when Don entered the room and screamed like a girl. After he'd been calmed down, Don became another aid in Ria's training. He and Kat got along rather well. Slender watched them put Ria through hell together. It was funny.

The sixth day with Ria came and so did the trial. Slender stood on er back porch and watched the fog roll in. It was the signal that one of his kind was there. Slender could recognize that energy anywhere. He knew who would be testing her.

Kat watched her boss standing alone in the quickly thickening fog. She glanced at Ria through the kitchen doorway before joining him. She looked up at him questioningly. He looked down at her, his face calm and solemn.

"We have to go now," he said.

He took her hand and they left without a goodbye. He took Kat back to the cabin where he instructed her to get something to eat. She did as he said wordlessly. She'd felt the energy of the one who'd come to test Ria, too. It made her wonder if Ria could handle it with such little preparation. Kat fought with herself over Ria's readiness while she made herself grilled cheese sandwiches and hot tomato soup. She sat outside on the patio steps to eat and watched Slenderman walk around the house. He glided more than he walked. It was like he stepped and the ground move beneath him to make his movements more graceful.

"Boss?" Kat called.

Slenderman stopped and looked at her.

"She'll be alright, won't she?" she asked.

"That depends on her heart," he said.

"You said..she has a 'different' heart. What does that mean?" Kat finished off her food.

"It means she was born with different abilities than normal humans. She is capable of more than them," Slender walked slowly to his proxy, "You should know about this. You are very much the same."

"What?" Kat gawked at him.

"Your heart is different as well," he said.

"How so?"

"You have different abilities than Ria, but they are rather powerful. Have you ever wondered why you could see reason in a situation, or find a reason to love and give chances...when no one else would? Your ability to understand, your capacity to love...Your willingness to learn...They are just small parts of what makes you different than the rest of your kind," Slenderman told her as he lowered himself onto one knee.

"I figured I just wasn't as dumb and close minded as most Americans..." Kat joked.

"That, too," he held his hand out to her.

Kat took his long, slender, pale fingers in her own. She always felt protected when she was in contact with him. He wasn't a huge, muscle bound monster, but he gave off a powerful aura and Kat knew he could tear her to shreds like she was wet paper if he wanted. Good thing he didn't.

Her boss took her on a walk around the lake and through some parts of the woods she'd never seen before. Kat was quiet during the walk. She kept wondering about Ria and how she was doing. Slenderman noticed her unusually calm demeanor. He, too, was thinking about the trial. He knew what she was facing. It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, but so soon...

"Will you know when she's done?" Kat asked.

They had made it back to the clearing with the fallen tree. They sat together on the tree in the sunlight. Kat sat on a higher branch so she could look at her boss without having to tilt her head back. Slender folded his hands in his lap. He wasn't sure if he should answer her or not.

"I will know if she lives," he said finally.

"That's it?" Kat sighed.

"Yes. It was all I was allowed with you," he nodded.

"Were you worried? Or did you have the utmost confidence in lil' ol' me?" Kat laughed.

He didn't answer that. Kat didn't know what to make of his silence. She didn't have long to try to figure it out as Splendorman showed up in front of them. He looked worried and slightly frantic. Slenderman stared at his brother with a slight glare. Kat saw the look on his face. She knew it was a glare of annoyance. He didn't like being surprised by anyone, let alone his bright and cheery elder brother.

"I'm sorry to intrude, Brother. I couldn't focus...I've been antsy since I left. I can't seem to hold still for very long," Splendy rubbed the back of his neck.

"Don't feel bad, neither can we. We've already walked around the lake," Ria reached for him.

Splendy walked to Kat and hugged her, "I'm so frightened for her."

"Don't be. Ria's a tough cookie. She'll pass her trial with flying colors!" Kat gave his shoulder a light punch.

"I want to believe that...but...I'm not so sure," Splendy admitted.

"She'll be _fine_," Kat reassured him.

"How can you say it so confidently? She barely had time to get ready," Splendy moaned.

"Because she loves you, and that'll be more than enough for her to fight as hard as she can. She's got her heart set on keeping you two around. She'll beat the odds," Kat said, squeezing Splendy's shoulder.

"You're right!" Splendy slammed his right fist into his left palm.

"Damn right I'm right!" Kat grinned smugly.

"She'll be fine. She'll come back to us, I just know it!" Splendy began to get fired up.

"And then we can celebrate!" Kat cheered.

Slenderman shook his head. There was energy she'd been missing. Why was it his brother that made her so happy and normal again? Didn't she say that _he_ made her happy? It must have just been the colorful man's attitude. He always seemed to make people laugh or smile when he was around. It was his job. Slender watched the two chat and exchange several hugs. He remained silent over the next few hours as they waited for Ria to finish her trial. Kat grew quieter as the time passed as well. Splendy was the only one whose mood wasn't dimmed at all.

Kat watched her boss in his silent state. It wasn't odd in any way for him to be so quiet. It would have been scary if he was as loud and happy as his brother. No, the silence didn't bother Kat. It was the odd feeling of...what was it? Sadness? Jealousy? Kat felt it every time she got close to him. When he took her hand to walk with her and Splendy back to the cabin, the feeling had been very strong. It had been even stronger when Splendy took her other hand ad began suggesting pass time games. Kat had picked up on his feelings before, as he'd taught her to do, but they were never like this. Slender didn't seem to feel sadness or jealousy. His emotions wee generally pretty calm and hard to figure out. She felt more and more fearful as the hours ticked by. There was no T.V. in the cabin so the only entertainment was each other. Splendy was quite happy with that, but her boss' mood only got worse.

Kat decided to do something about it. She asked Splendy to read something she'd written in the library while she went downstairs to talk with her boss. He was standing at the window when she found him. It was very creepy. He almost looked like the game's Slenderman.

"Boss?" she murmured.

Slender didn't so much as twitch. He didn't respond in any way at all.

"Boss, what's wrong?" Kat tried again.

He still said and did nothing. Kat felt as is she was gong to cry out of nowhere. Her heart hurt terribly and she couldn't understand why. She reached out to take his hand in hers. She carefully pulled it toward her and enveloped in in both of her own hands. She gave it a little squeeze as she felt a lump build in her throat.

"_Boss_?" she cleared her throat, "Slendy?"

He looked at her now. The new use of his that nickname and he cracking voice had caught him off guard.

"Yes?"

"What's wrong? You're upset," Kat held his hand tighter.

She tied to convey through her eyes and touch the feeling of worry she had for him.

"Don't worry about it. I am fine, child," he said dully.

"It's not nice to lie," Kat said.

Slenderman looked back out the window. He could feel the emotions coming from her. She was terribly sad for him. Sadder than she should have been. She was scared. He could sense that she feared she'd done something wrong and upset him. It was a remorseful fear rather than just plain fear. It wasn't the kind that others would have. Another would fear upsetting him because they would expect to he harmed or killed. She was afraid to have upset him because she didn't want him to be sad or angry. She wanted him to be happy. Why? Why could he feel all that from her? Why did she care what he felt? She was just his proxy.

"I've just been thinking. You and I have a lot to learn about each other," he sighed.

"I know..but why does that make you sad?" Kat asked.

"It doesn't..." Slender turned to her fully now, "I-"

Splendy came running down the stairs with Kat's notebook in hand. Slender stopped speaking but gave Kat a mental promise to speak with her later.

"That was great! Is there more to this?" Splendy handed the book over to the girl.

The trio spent the next three hours in the living room. Slendy played games with Kat while Slender watched. He spoke when he was spoken to or asked a question. Kat was glad that he was back to his semi-normal self. She was even more glad when he and Splendy announced that Ria was finally done. It had been nine hours since it had all started, but it was finally over.

Slender agreed to go back to Ria's so Kat could see her and find out what had happened. They all left together and appeared in the back yard next to Don. Don looked like he was in need of an oxygen mask. He ran to the newly arrived trio with terror in his eyes.

"Is she alive? Do you know?!" he asked Splendy.

"Yes, she'll be back any second now," Splendy nodded with a comforting smile.

"Ria!" Don spun around and called.

Ria appeared just as the fog had cleared completely. Don ran to meet her on the path from the woods. He hugged her while Kat and the others made their way to them. Ria was confused as to what the fuss was about until Kat explained that when she'd been taken into the other world time was different. Ria nearly passed out at the information. Don had to help her back to the house. They sat her in Splendy's lap on the couch and gathered around in their usual places.

"I suppose it all went rather well?" Slender asked.

"Tell us what happened," Splendy tilted Ria's head back so she could look at him.

"I got you...forever," she said.

Kat was happy for her friend. She stayed at her house even after she fell asleep in her boyfriend's arm. Kat asked her boss for permission to and and he granted it. He left after telling her that they would finish their conversation another night. Kat smiled at his back when he walked away. There was so much they still had to learn about one another. She looked forward to every minute of it.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:I'm glad peoples are starting to like this story. It'll get better from here, I promise. If you're reading Slender What? And saw the bit about the questions, please feel free to ask! I really wanna do that! Anyways, shout outs:**

**SixxEclipses – Thanks. I made it kinda obvious, didn't I?**

**Supanovart123 – You'll have to keep reading to find out. Lol...It took Splendy and Ria 17 chapters to get together, and I still haven't decided what I want to do with these two.**

**Dantes-Silent-Huntress – We'll see. He has to "thaw out" to himself, first.**

**Animeguard – YAY!**

**DreamingMyDreams – I have issues, it should be obvious by now. As for his teeth, well...You'll see.**

**Splendy Tells All**

"Let's switch guys!"

"What?" Ria stopped laughing.

"Let's switch guys! For the weekend. It's Friday, so we can switch back Sunday," Kat nodded frantically.

"You mean...I keep Slender here...and you take Splendy with you to your place...For the weekend?" Ria said slowly.

"Yeah. Slenders has been working is butt of teaching me and running around doing his own thing. He could use a break and he likes you enough to chill with you. Splendy and I have hardly had any time to chill and I really want the chance to get to know him better. Just this one weekend?" Kat folded her hands to beg.

"_Actually_, that sounds like fun. I bet the guys would get a kick out of it, too. I'd like some quality time with my brother-in-law," Ria chuckled.

"That's right! You're practically engaged to Splendy. You and Slendy _need_ some time together. So, it's a plan?" Kat held out her hand.

Ria shook her hand firmly, "A plan."

The girls walked into the living room with huge smiles on their faces. Splendy smiled back. Slenderman crossed his arms looking stiff.

"So-" Ria started.

"We heard you," Slender stopped her.

"I'm certainly willing to try this! It sounds fun!" Splendy clapped his hands.

"I'm not. The answer is no. I don't have time for these things. I have my own affairs to attend to," Slender said firmly.

"Slender...c'mon. It's just a couple days," Ria groaned.

"No," Slender said again.

Kat stared at him with sad eyes. He looked at her with a blank expression, no pun intended. His face twitched a little as her eyes began to tear up. Kat's cheeks became pink.

"But...Master...," she said softly.

Ria blinked at the word "master." She hadn't heard Kat use it before. She had only heard Kat call him boss. Splendy smirked at Ria. Kat knew he saw what was going on, even if the girl didn't.

"I-" Slender started to speak and stopped again.

Training Kat the way he had, all at once, was unlike him. He had his own affairs to deal with beside her and he was tiring from constantly being on the move. He'd even come to help Ria with her training. He stared into Kat's sad face as he thought. She looked as if she was going to cry. She felt as if she was going to cry. She never asked for anything other than just one hug a day.

"Just...this...once," he sighed, defeated.

"Really?" Kat brightened.

"I will return to you at midnight when Sunday becomes Monday. And I expect you to leave then, Brother," Slender pointed at Splendy.

"Alrighty then!" Kat whooped.

Splendy and Kat were gone only ten minutes later. Kat took him inside the cabin when they arrived and sighed deeply. Why hadn't she thought first about what were they going to do? There was no T.V. to watch movies on. She didn't have any board games and the word games she'd played with him before weren't going to keep the occupied forever. Splendorman didn't seem to mind the lack of technology in the cabin. He was used to watching T.V. with Ria or looking at things on the internet with her, but that was only something he'd done since he met her.

"This place is so lovely. How about we start a cozy fire?" Splendy suggested.

"It's not that chilly," Kat smiled, " But I _do_ have marshmallows."

Kat retrieved the puffy treats while Splendy started a fire. He had it going by the time Kat walked back into the room. Kat gave him a "how'd you do that?" look. Splendy just shrugged. He went outside for a moment and returned with two long, smooth sticks. He handed one to Kat with a sweet smile. Kat smiled back as she handed him a marshmallow. She sat on the floor beside him as their roast began. Splendy's first marshmallow got caught on fire and burned. Kat laughed and gave him a new one.

"So, has your time here been nice?" Splendy asked, minding his marshmallow's distance from the flames.

"Yeah, actually. It's been great! The training was hard, and my trial...but Slenders has been really nice and doesn't leave me alone for long," Kat answered.

"You know...It's strange..." Splendy stared into the fire.

"What is?" Kat asked, removing her marshmallow from the stick.

"The way my brother has been of late. I don't think I've even seen him act this way," Splendy removed his treat, too.

"Do explain," Kat said.

They reloaded their sticks and stuck their treats over the flames. Splendy looked at Kat for a long time without saying anything. He had a slight smile on his lips but his eyes were thoughtful. Kat waited patiently for him to talk. She'd often thought about how nicely Slenderman treated her.

"I've seen some of his other proxies. I've seen him interact with them a few times. He'd told me once or twice about them. The way he is with you is very different. He's spent a great deal more time with you already than he does with most of his in half a year. He usually takes his time training them, letting them wander on their own for a while, teaching themselves. He goes to them once in a while, giving them instructions and letting them handle things themselves. When he trains them, he spends just enough time to get them ready, and leaves them to the trial. He comes back when he sees fit..." Splendy told her.

"So, him being around me, and being here for me after my jobs and my trial...that's the difference?" Kat handed him another marshmallow.

"That and more. It's surprising, but it doesn't stop there," Splendy's smile grew, "He allowed you to pack and bring your things. That is odd. He normally just allows them to take what they can carry in a bag. Once a proxy has given up their old life, he doesn't see the point in keeping worldly possessions besides what's absolutely necessary. That being said, what he has given you in this home is also a surprise. The size of the place isn't that odd, but the fact that he has provided you with everything he has is. Most proxies shop in their street clothes for their food and needs."

Kat thought about this for a moment. She'd known he'd made things very easy on her. He wasn't a bad guy, but there was something odd about him having all these things done for her without her even saying anything. Kat looked at Splendy as they continued roasting marshmallows. She wanted to ask him more, but was too nervous to hear the answers she sought.

They finished half the bag of marshmallows over the course of an hour. Kat yawned deeply as the fire began to die. Splendy shuffled the logs as they fell and the fire went out, leaving only glowing embers behind. He put the bag of marshmallows away for Kat.

"You should sleep now. We both should," he said softly, lifting Kat from the floor.

"I'm ok, I can make it," Kat mumbled.

She didn't make any effort to prove her words. Splendy chuckled lightly and placed her in her bed. He covered her up snugly. He lingered for a moment with a strange expression on his face. Kat yawned and reached her arms up toward him.

"Huggles, you," she sighed.

Splendy smiled again. He leaned down to hug her. Kat kissed his cheek then pushed him a little. Splendy kissed her cheek before leaving the room with a grin. Kat fell asleep almost instantly and woke around noon the next day. Splendy was, of course, already up and had made breakfast. Kat thanked him and ate every bite.

The pair spent most of the afternoon at the lake collecting shells and skipping stones. Splendy showed Kat up in a little competition by skipping a stone across the whole lake and onto the other shore. Kat led him to a rock outcropping in the woods that Slenderman had brought her to once. Slender had used this area to train her in escaping his tendrils. Splendy made himself comfortable on a ledge that was just the right height for him to sit on. Kat sat on a higher one so she could look him in the eye rather that the chest.

"You must like this place," Splendy said, glancing around at the trees.

"It's nice, but I get lonely way out here. I don't even know where here is," Kat felt a pang of pain in her chest.

If there was one thing Kat truly couldn't take, it was loneliness. She had always had a problem with being alone. That was the reason she needed some sort of white noise to sleep with. A fan usually did the trick. She always had her mp3 played in hand when no one was around. Silence drove her crazy when it dragged on too long. It was worse when she knew there was no one nearby to change it. When Slenderman left her and didn't come back for a couple days, she felt terrible.

"There's not even a town or anything near here for me to go hang out in," Kat grumbled.

"You'd have to walk for hours to reach the nearest town. I wonder why he keeps you so far from others? The other proxies are at least near a place they can resupply at..." Splendy blinked.

"I dunno...you said he's acted differently with me," Kat shrugged.

"He does..." Splendy's face fell when he saw the look on Kat's.

He looked around them at the trees and rocks. Kat wasn't paying attention to the scenery. Her mood had fallen with the thought of future loneliness. Somehow, it was all worse when Slenderman left her. She'd never felt more lonely in her life than when _he_ left her.

"I never got to tell you about the other things that set you apart form his other proxies," Splendy said suddenly, "Like how he holds your hand. Or how he insists on being in contact with you."

"That's odd, too?" Kat perked up.

"Yes. Even with female proxies, he doesn't really make much physical contact. He will hold a child's hand...or allow them to be close to him, but I've rarely known him to do so with adults," Splendy said.

"How many adults is he friendly with?" Kat asked.

"I'm not sure, I only know of his proxies," Splendy shook his head, "I think there is something going on with my brother."

Kat's heart jumped. She had no idea how to take that statement.

"Meaning?"

"I mean...It looks as though he is trying to protect you from something. He keeps you close, he trains you all at once, he pushes you into jobs so quickly. I don't know what he could be trying to keep you from, but if that's what he's doing it seems like it could be very bad, potentially. Either that, or he wants to keep you close for anther reason. Perhaps he has taken a liking to you. Maybe there is something about you that intrigues him," Splendy said.

"Like what?" Kat scoffed.

"Well, you're different from other humans, for one thing. Maybe he has seen something in you that he wants to learn about. Or something that he admires. I don't know. My brother is mysterious. Even I can't always tell what he's up to," Splendy sighed.

"You...you know about...what my jobs are...Right?" Kat asked.

"Yes, I do. I do not wish to do as my brother does, but it is his business...and yours...what you do. I know he is not as bad as the many of the human legends make him out to be. He can be kind, and friendly, and protective...But he can show a wrath that would make brave men tremble. It all depends on which side of him a person brings out. _You_ bring out his protective side. His friendlier tendencies. People like your father are another matter," Splendy said with a tone of disgust that was strange in his voice.

Kat's head snapped around to face him so fast she nearly cracked her neck and fell from her seat. Splendy's eyes went wide. He clamped a hand over his mouth in embarrassment.

"How did you know about that?" Kat gasped.

"I-I-" Splendy fumbled for words.

"Did Slenderman tell you?" Kat hopped down from the rocks.

"Yes...We communicate in a telepathic manner. He has told me much of what he's learned about you over this time...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up a sensitive subject!" Splendy apologized.

"It's fine...I just didn't know he'd told someone," Kat looked away from her friend.

"Kat...you don't have to be embarrassed about it," Splendy reached out to pull her to him.

"I'm not! I'm better now! That rotten bastard's gonna _get_ his!" Kat yelled.

Splendy jerked his hand back as if she'd bitten it. Kat realized her mistake and went to him. She hugged him gently. He hugged her back and held her firmly in his arms.

"I didn't mean to yell. I'm sorry," Kat began to cry.

"It's alright," Splendy soothed.

Kat cried for a very short time in his embrace. She hadn't spoken of her father in ages. In fact, she'd forgotten him since she told her boss about him. He'd made her forget most of the low points in her old life. She only remembered the good bits and kept her memories to herself unless asked about them. Once the tears stopped falling, Kat and Splendy went back to the house for dinner. It was still light out when the dishes were done, so Kat and Splendy found everything they needed and began baking.

They made a round, double layer chocolate cake and frosted it with chocolate icing. Splendy left and returned with even more things for them to bake after that. They made several batches of cookies, all chocolate chip. They made a half dozen cupcakes as well. All the while they munched on the sweets until they could munch no more. By bedtime the whole house smelled like a bakery. Kat hugged and kissed her friend goodnight and crawled into bed fighting off a stomach ache.

Sunday was a much more active day for Kat and Splendorman. He put Kat on his back and walked her far from the cabin. He took her to a cave with bats inside and picked out a couple for them to hold. He didn't explain how, but he could tel which weren't dangerous or riddle with fleas and disease. Kat loved bats, so they spent many hours with them. Kat petted, sketched, took pictures, and explored their cave. Splendy was at ease in the creepy cave, which Kat found slightly surprising.

"It's because they're harmless and _adorable_!" Splendy told her, snuggling a bat to his cheek.

It was around dinner time again when they departed from their winged friends. Kat was on Splendy's back again. The trip was too long for her to make all by herself, or so he aid. He could walk much faster and teleport over or around any obstacles they encountered. Kat didn't mind. She was comfortable and she felt like she really needed all the contact she could get before it came time for her to be alone.

"Hey, Splendy...Will you come and visit me here every now and then? If Slenders doesn't mind, I mean," Kat rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Sure!" Splendy grinned, "Maybe Ria will be allowed to come along sometime."

"I hope so," Kat smiled.

"You really _do_ get lonely here, don't you?" Splendy asked.

"Yeah."

"You should tell my brother that. I doubt he'd want you to feel that way."

"I couldn't. I'm not his kid, I'm his proxy. His servant. I shouldn't go bothering him with petty things. I have what I need to survive here. That'll do," Kat said, not looking at him.

Splendy didn't argue it with her. He just pressed her closer to his back and walked on.

Time flew by and it was midnight before Kat was ready. Slenderman returned to the cabin and shooed his brother away. Splendy hugged Kat and kissed her cheek then disappeared. Kat smiled at her boss. He tilted his head questioningly, sniffing the air. How could he do that without a nose?

"What have you two been doing?" he asked.

"We baked yesterday. There's cake, cookies, and cupcakes in the kitchen...if you want some..." Kat felt her face heat up.

"Where did you get all the ingredients for that? Did you leave here?" he asked, his voice becoming sharp.

"N-no. Splendy went and got it all," Kat stammered.

She suddenly felt like a small child who was afraid of getting in trouble for something they didn't understand or didn't do. Slender stared down at her for a short while before speaking again.

"Did you go anywhere?" he asked.

"Splendy took me to a cave...with bats. That was all," Kat said.

"Very well. I don't want you leaving here without my permission, you know this," Kat nodded, "What else did you do?"

"We talked a lot...roasted marshmallows...We went to the lake and collected shells. Nothing too exciting," Kat shrugged a little.

Slenderman nodded and walked over to the chair on the left side of the couch. Kat sat on the floor at his feet. She got a fire going with the intention of roasting the last few marshmallows. Slender watched her go about her fire stoking. Her hands were shaky. She was nervous about something. Kat finally got the fire going strong enough. She stuck a marshmallow over the flames, turning it around to make sure it got heated just right. They sat in silence while Kat snacked. She was just putting a new log in the fire when Slenderman spoke.

"Kat," he said, startling her.

Kat jerked at the sudden sound. Her right hand moved too far forward and smacked into a red hot log. The backs of her fingers and knuckles were burned in the split second it took her to yelp and yank her hand away. Slender snatched her away from the fire as if it was going to reach for her. Kat hissed and sobbed. Her hand was blackened and already beginning to bubble. She sobbed and nearly screamed when Slender took her to the kitchen and put her hand under a stream of cold water in the sink. Kat really did scream when he began rubbing her hand to remove the soot and bits of skin. He held her with one arm tightly to his body to stop her squirming, he used his tendrils to turn her head away and keep her from seeing the damage. Some of the burns were nearly third degree. He could see blood coming where skin had been washed off. Angry red blisters her forming over her skin. Slender shivered when she screamed pitifully as he washed her hand. He pulled her from the sink and into his arms without giving her a chance to look at the burned hand.

"What are we..?" Kat sobbed as they went out the door.

"You need help," he said briskly.

Slender took them away to the same town as before. He dropped her off right in front of the doors to the emergency room. Kat looked down at her hand. She made a noise somewhere between a sob and a gag. She rushed into the empty waiting room for help.

The next night, Kat was asleep in a hospital bed. Her hand had been treated and was thickly bandaged. There was an I.V. in her arm providing medicine to dull the pain. Slenderman entered her room silently, so as not to wake her. Luckily, this was a single bed room. He sat in an uncomfortable chair beside her. He reached out and stroked her head softly. A sigh escaped him. Had he done something to make her so afraid that he deserved that reaction?

"Boss..." Kat croaked, opening her eyes.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Slender said.

"It's fine. I really missed you last night," Kat smiled.

"Does it hurt?" Slender asked.

"No. Not right now. They gave me some _awesome_ pain killers," Kat grinned.

"Kat, what made you jump like that?" her boss asked, "Were you afraid of me?"

Kat sat up, panic in her eyes. Slender was taken aback by the look. Was she really that afraid to upset him?

"No! No no no! I...I was thinking about things...Your voice surprised me is all," she lifted her left hand, as if to reach for him, but dropped it again.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Splendy told me a lot of things. About you...and your proxies...he told me to tell you something..." Kat shook her head, "Forget it."

"Tell me," Slender commanded gently.

Kat looked up at him. She looked away, blinking back tears. She didn't understand why it was so hard for her to say it. She didn't want to bother him any more than she already had. Kat took a deep, shaky breath and looked back up at her boss.

"I...I get lonely...when you leave. I miss you...I hate being alone more than anything in the whole world, and it's even worse when _you're_ gone!" Kat sniffled, forcing herself not to cry.

"Why...would you want me with you so much?" Slenderman asked, cupping her chin.

"I've told you before, but I'll say it again. I _love_ you...I've loved you even when I thought you were a legend. When I thought I'd never see you in my life. I love when you're with me. I feel safe and happy...I feel like I belong...and like I don't want to belong anywhere else, or _to_ anyone else," Kat sad, looking him right in the face.

Slenderman pulled her into a hug. Kat let a few tears fall while he held her. She was totally red faced and must have looked a sight, but she didn't care. She'd told him. She'd gone against what she'd told Splendy and told him how she felt and what she wanted. Slender pulled back, his face scrunched a bit. Kat couldn't tell what the expression meant.

"I'm sorry..." Slender rubbed her cheek, "For making you feel alone."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:So, I was actually really happy with the last chapter. I was proud of it for some reason...Whatever. I hope you guys like his one. Warning, dark times ahead. By the way, gotta know, who here, reading this, is a boy? Shout outs:**

**Sixxeclipses – I know what you mean, I can't stand to watch people lose nails.**

**WeskerSlayer99 – Good aw, or bad aw?**

**Splendyandslendy – Don't feel bad, I was getting misty eyes over here, too.**

**DreamingyDreams – The last chap was pretty emotional...lol. Sad thing is, I have no sweets for real!**

**A Cure For Madness**

Kat was in the hospital for five days. The burn was worse than she would have guessed. When they finally let her go Kat no longer felt serious pain. Her hand throbbed now and then, making it hard to curl her fingers with or without the bandages, but she'd been given medicine for that. Slenderman told her that she wouldn't be doing jobs for a while. He had something he wanted her to do, but it wasn't a job. He wouldn't tell her what it was.

Kat sat in her living room eating the sweets she and Splendorman had made. Slender had told her to be ready by night fall. Well, night had fallen. She had her bag packed with only the essentials, just as he'd told her. Spare clothes, munchies, a notebook and pens, her meds, and one of the cameras with a tape had left for her. Kat brushed the crumbs from her clothes just as her boss appeared beside her.

"Time to go?" Kat asked.

"Yes," he answered, holding out his hand.

Kat slung her backpack on and took his hand. They were gone in an instant and arrived in an alley. Kat looked around in the dim light at the buildings and trash cans. She could tell they weren't in a big city. Slender pointed toward a parking lot that wasn't far away. A man walked out of the back door of the building the parking lot connected to. Kat stared for a moment in shock. She turned to look at her boss, but he'd gone. She pulled her mask down over her face and ran to hide in a doorway. She watched the man walk to a white minivan and climb into the driver's seat. He swore when her dropped his wallet. It hit the ground and receipts and cards fell out, scattering in the wind. A small piece of paper skittered over to Kat's hiding place. She snatched it up before he could see.

"Damn it," the man swore under his breath.

Kat pressed herself into the corner and read the words on the little paper.

"Three twenty Collins street," Kat read to herself.

There was also a name and phone number on the paper. Kat grinned behind her mask. She had all she needed right in her hand. But why would anyone write all that down on a scrap of paper? Perhaps he had written it down to give to someone. Kat pocketed her find. The man approached her hiding place. She relaxed against the wall and tucked her hands into her jacket pockets. The man came around the wall. He halted when he saw Kat. With her hood up and mask on, she must have looked quite odd.

"Did you see a little piece of paper over here? It had a phone number on it," he asked.

Kat shook her head slowly, fighting back laughter. The man sighed, swore, and turned to walk away. He stopped for a second and looked back at Kat,who hadn't moved.

"You know, Halloween isn't for a while now," he smirked.

"Yes, but it seems the real monsters are out all year round," Kat replied coldly.

He blinked at her, his face turning from a smirk to a concerned frown. He walked away. Kat began walking back to the alley where she'd come in.

"Later, John," she said just loudly enough for him to hear.

John whipped around to look at her, but she'd turned the corner and vanished from sight. Kat snickered to herself. She clung tightly to the paper in her pocket. At the end of the alley, Kat watched his van go down the street and turn two blocks away. She walked back into the alley, changed her shirt and jacket, and put her mask in her bag. She walked back to the street and followed the path the van had taken. She turned two blocks down and stropped. She had no idea where to go now. Kat sighed, almost feeling defeated. She walked on for six more blocks until she reached a K-Mart. His van was there in the parking lot. She hadn't been sure it was him until he stepped out of the store and climbed back into the van.

"Where to now?" Kat asked under her breath.

John pulled out of the parking lot right in front of her. He turned left and drove away. Kat followed him until her turned right. Kat walked to the street he'd turned on. Fifth street. She made a mental note of it and went down the street. It was very dark now and it was getting harder to figure out which way to go. Kat stopped at an intersection. There were small stores and a Tim Horton's nearby. She patted her pocket. Her boss had given her money when she'd been released from the hospital. She had about a hundred dollars on her, which was more than enough to get a cab.

Kat entered the Tim Horton's and asked to use the phone. A snooty manager allowed it only when Kat put on an act about being far from home and injured. Kat called a local cab company whose number she found in a phone book. She waited for twenty minutes in the parking lot. The temptation to buy doughnuts was almost too much. The cab finally came just as Kat was about to cave to her sweet tooth.

"Where to?" he cabby asked.

"Thee hundred Collins street, please," Kat said.

Kat exited the cab with a tight not in her stomach. She looked at the houses around her and took a left on the sidewalk. She quickly made it to John's house. His van was parked in the driveway. She could see in the windows on the side of the house. John was in there with a woman. The woman had a baby in her arms. The little girl couldn't have been more than two years old. Kat sighed. This wasn't going to be any easy mission.

Kat spotted the large backyard of John's house. Beyond the yard there were some huge trees between his fence and the yard of another house. The other house was much smaller and looked beat up. It gave off a strange vibe that seemed to call Kat to it. Kat walked around the block and found the house. She could see John's home through the thicket of trees. The house in front of her was clearly occupied. She took a breath and knocked on the door. A woman of about seventy answered.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely.

"Yeah, uh, I just got dropped off around here a while ago...could you point me in the direction of the nearest cheap motel?" Kat asked.

"We've got hotel here, but it ain't cheap," the woman told her.

"Really? Then could you point me to a homeless shelter or something?" Kat sighed.

"What? You don't have a friend or family member to stay with?" the woman stepped out onto the walkway.

"No. I got in a fight with the person I was supposed to be staying with. Long story short, my boyfriend cheated on me and _I_ got kicked out," Kat lied, turning away.

"Well, wait...why don't you stay here? At least until you find a way home?" the woman offered.

"I couldn't...I...don't have a lot of money..." Kat held up her hands.

"Don't be silly. You don't have to pay me. Come in," the old lady pulled her inside before she could argue.

Kat smiled to herself. Something had told her this was a good place to be. The old woman led her into a kitchen where something that smelled good was cooking. Kat sat at the round wooden table.

"My name is Anne Marie Barkly," the woman shook Kat's hand.

"K-ah...Prox. I'm Prox, and thank you," Kat said.

"Don't mention it. It's been a very long time since I've had anyone over to visit me. All my kids went and grew up, now they're all out of state, living their lives. What brings you here?" Anne Marie asked.

"Like I said, boyfriend gave me the boot..." Kat lied again.

"Now, you don't really expect me to buy _that_, do you?" Anne smiled, "I can see it in your eyes. You're a girl on a mission. You came to Bemus Point for a reason. What reason might at be?"

"I...I can't really tell you that. I'm sorry I lied. I came here for the man that lives in the house behind yours," Kat said.

"Came for him? What do you mean to do with him? Kill him I hope," Anne stood up.

"What?" Kat gasped.

"Sorry, didn't mean to sound so gruff about it. I've known him ever since he arrived here. I didn't like him from the start. There's something about him I just don't like. Something behind those eyes. A secret," Anne said, donning oven mitts.

"Sounds right," Kat nodded.

"Really? I suppose it's personal?" Anne guessed.

Kat nodded, looking out the kitchen window to the lights of John's house. Anne Marie set a large metal pan on the counter. She removed the foil from it, letting an aroma of cheese, meat and sauce fill the room. Kat sniffed the air and realized just how hungry she was. She'd only snacked before her boss had left her in the alley. Anne loaded a plate with two large slices of lasagna. She set the plate and a fork in front of Kat.

"Eat, Dear," she said.

"Thank you," Kat sighed.

"Don't mention it. Now, what did that man do that has caused you to come after him?" Anne asked as she sat back down.

"What could a man do to a young girl that would make her hate him forever and want him dead?" Kat glared out the window.

"I see...So...You _will_ be killing him, then?" Anne asked.

"I...Yeah," Kat took a huge bite to sooth her suddenly raw nerves.

"Well, it's about time! I've feared for that baby and that woman since they moved here! I _knew_ that man couldn't be any good. I've been waiting for someone to finally _do_ something about him," Anne nodded.

"Really?" Kat stared at the old woman.

"Mm-hm. I'm to old to do something about it myself," she said.

"Wow," Kat grinned.

"Who is he...to you?" Anne asked.

Kat stopped eating. She closed her eyes and turned her head from the window as if the words would reach him through it. She took a shaky breath. Her hands were so tightly curled into fists that her knuckles were chalk white. She swallowed hard before answering in a sickened tone.

"He's...My father. The man who gave me half of my damn D.N.A. And half my looks," Kat said.

"Father..." Anne echoed.

"I...I..._hate_ him. For what he did to us. For the effect it's had on me for all these years! I waited for so long for something to happen to him...and now I've got my chance," Kat sobbed, forgetting her food, "I'LL _GET_ HIM!"

Kat broke down into tears at the table. Anne Marie walked around to comfort her. Kat cried hard for a long time. She wiped her eyes nearly a half house later and finished her cold lasagna. Anne stared out the window. Neither said anything until Kat had finished eating.

"That was really good. Aren't you going to eat?" Kat asked.

"No, I don't really eat much. I just cook in hopes of having a guest. I was in luck today. I have a question for you, if you don't mind another," Anne said, opening the fridge.

"Shoot," Kat said.

Anne pulled out a large round container and removed the lid. Inside there was a cake. Kat nearly drooled. It smelled wonderful from where she was. Anne cut a huge piece and put in on a plate in front of Kat.

"Go ahead, hope you like chocolate," she smiled sweetly.

"Yeah..." Kat nodded.

"So...You belong to someone, no?" Anne asked.

Kat nearly choked on her first bite of cake. She coughed and spluttered as she blinked up at her host.

"Ack! Y-yeah...How'd you know?" Kat coughed.

"I could have sworn I spotted an old friend earlier. Slenderman took you as his own, then?" Anne chuckled.

Kat's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She gawked at the old woman sitting across from her. Anne just smiled back.

"That he did," Kat laughed.

"I see. It makes sense now. He brought you here to seek out a cure," Anne said.

"For what?" Kat started back on her cake.

"For your pain. He wants you to find the cure for what has caused your heart and mind so much discontent. I suppose that is why you're here and he isn't," Anne sighed, "It is entirely up to you what happens here. What you decide to do...and the mark it will leave on you is all your choice. So, will you find you cure for this heart wrenching madness...or will you walk away, suffering?"

Kat thought about Anne's words as she sat on a high branch in the tree closest to John's yard. She could see right into the second floor window of the baby's bedroom. The little girl was asleep. Kat's heart hammered in her chest as she planned her first move. The moment her foot met the branch below her as she began her climb down Slenderman appeared by her side. He was two stories tall, to match her height from the ground. Kat inhaled sharply and slipped. She caught herself before any damage was done. She glared at her boss once she righted herself in the tree.

"Boss! Are you trying to kill me?" she hissed.

"No, but that was funny," he answered, a slight bit of mirth in his voice.

Kat stuck her tongue out, not that he could see it through her mask. The mask didn't taste very good.

"What's up?" Kat asked.

"I came to help," he said.

"Help? Wait...you were reading my mind again?" Kat huffed.

"You didn't notice. You've been thinking hard," Slender looked toward the baby's window.

"I have. So you know what I want to do. And you're willing to help?" Kat looked to the window, too.

Slenderman nodded once. Kat nodded back and climbed out of the tree. She hopped the wooden fence into John's yard. Slender followed, stepping over the fence. Kat walked to the side of the house where a ladder was resting on its side. There were some paint brushes around it and a scraping tool for taking off old paint. Kat slipped her hands back into her sleeves and gabbed the scraper. She brought the ladder around the back of the house. Slender waited while she climbed the ladder and pried the baby's window open. She stepped lightly inside, listening to the sounds from around her.

Kat tip toed to the crib and peered inside. She really was a cute little tyke. It was too bad she had the same D.N.A. of a monster. Kat found a blanket to wrap the child in. She lifted the girl carefully from the crib without waking her. Slenderman reached in and took the baby once Kat was close enough to the window. He held her securely to his chest. Kat looked around the room. There was a pack of crayons on a shelf. She left a message on the wall.

"One monster takes from another," it said. She drew a head sized Operator symbol beneath the words.

Kat nodded and climbed back out the window. She closed it and Slenderman locked it. Kat quirked a brow at her master.

"It was locked before," he explained.

Kat smiled. She replaced the ladder and scraper to where she'd found them. Her boss disappeared once she was back over the fence. Kat went inside to the room that Anne Marie had let her stay in. She curled up in the bed to sleep. Screams and flashing lights were her wake up call just two hours later. Kat rubbed her eyes and yawned on her way to the window. She had been given a room with a window that was mostly blocked by branches. She looked out to the baby's room window. The light was on. John, his girlfriend, and two police officers were there. Once officer was taking pictures. Kat shook her head. They weren't going to find anything. The girl was gone somewhere safe with someone who wouldn't hurt her. She would never know the fear of a father who was a monster. Kat went back to bed. She had a lot to think about.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:I couldn't wait to post this. Even I had trouble with the last chapter's cliffhanger.**

**Falling Too Far**

Kat had to wait two weeks for the cops to stop coming around all the time. Search parties were rallied to look for the baby. There were nightly reports about the event on the news. Kat followed John almost everywhere through the second week. He stopped going to work. He visited the police station almost every other day. His girlfriend was at his side half of the time, making it hard for Kat to get too close. Kat made sure to let John see her at least once every few days. She'd always stand far away, where she knew he'd see her. Once he'd caught just a glimpse, she'd vanish without a trace.

John had told the cops about her. They'd searched the neighborhood, including Anne Marie's house while Kat was out tailing John. If it hadn't been for the message, they might have never even looked for her. Kat was glad. John was beginning to lose it. He was always looking over is shoulder. It had freaked his girlfriend out, which Kat felt bad about. It was too late to do anything about the woman now. She'd been warned years ago about John. She'd had her chance then to be smart and leave him alone. Now she was just in the way.

Kat sat in the tree each night, eating her sweets from home. Her boss had brought them for her when he'd taken the baby. She sat there snacking each night after working out. She'd made it part of her routine to work out and run every night. Her hand had healed nicely and she no longer felt pain or stiffness in it. It was fully functional for her which was good with her new schedule. She did push ups and crunches in her room. Kat went outside to do pull ups on a tree branch before going for long runs in the dark. She wanted be in good shape for the upcoming confrontation with John.

She'd left him two more messages. Anne Marie had helped with one. The old woman went to his house with her and somehow opened the locked windows, letting her into the living room. Kat had left one there saying, "You can't be trusted with a little girl. Tell them why." John had destroyed the wall she'd left it on. The police had had nothing to work with when they arrived. Then next message she'd left had been, "Without eyes, we can see you. You don't have long." He'd let the police get the chance to photograph it before tearing the wall to shreds like the mad man he was becoming. By the start of the third week, John's girlfriend had had enough drama, lies, and fighting. She left to stay with her family. John was alone in the house now.

"Does it hurt?" Kat asked no one.

She stood in her room alone, looking out the window while the sun set. She could see John in the baby's room, staring at the wall she'd written on. She smiled to herself. The mask hid the smile from the reflection in the window. She almost never removed the mask now. It was who she felt she was. It was like she could see everything and no one else could see her. When she had the mask on, she was a perfect stalker. She knew what to do, where to go, who to avoid, when to wait, and when to act. There wasn't a person in the world who could stop her. Kat loved it. The only one who could do anything to deter her had left her to her own devices. Kat laughed at the man in the other house. How wonderful it was to see him suffer so.

"Prox?" Anne Marie called, "Dinner, Dear."

Prox, the name she'd given Anne Marie to call her by. That's who she was now. A proxy, turned loose on a man who she and Slenderman despised the like of. Kat made her way downstairs to he kitchen. Anne Marie had cooked for her every night, always keeping up with what he was dong as if she'd just come home from school. Kat smelled meatloaf. She sat at the table, where Anne had already set her a full plate.

"Going to take that mask off?" Anne smiled.

"Oh, right," Kat lifted the mask up.

She let it rest on the top of her head.

"When do you plan to do it?" Anne asked her.

"Soon. He is a stubborn man. He refuses to admit his wrongs. He could save himself from all this, yet he continues to carry on the charade. He's even trying to get his woman back. But she won't come. She's afraid. See, I overheard something that the cops were saying today. They are going to start looking at him as a suspect! They think he _hired_ someone to take the kid. They think that he wrote all the messages himself. It makes sense. He was always the first to find them. He's the only one who has layed eyes one me. There isn't a single photo or video anywhere of someone who looks like me," Kat laughed.

"Then they have ruled you out?" Anne asked, setting a plate of oatmeal cookies on the table for Kat.

"Not entirely. They still think it's possible that since I went missing I lost my mind and came here to seek revenge on him. They aren't entirely wrong. There's just a _few_ details they don't know about yet," Kat laughed again.

Her laughter was almost maniacal. It always was now. She laughed when he screamed. She laughed when he cried. She even laughed when he went into fits of rage and threw things around in his home. Kat laughed for a long time when he lost his job. She laughed herself into tears when the police had him at the station for eight hours for questioning and tests. She was laughing a lot now. Three weeks she'd been there. For two of those three weeks, she'd been laughing. Laughing at the pain that she could finally reciprocate. Mid June was a lovely time for revenge.

"Tonight," Kat announced after dinner.

"Ah, finally gotten him how you want him?" Anne asked.

"Yes. After tonight, I guess Master will come take me home, should I not be killed. Not that I will be. I want to thank you for what you have done. For all that you have provided. I just have one question. Why have you done it all?" Kat asked, her mask hiding her curious eyes.

"I was girl like you once. A young lady, just learning about the real world. A young lady who never got to keep her innocence. I, too, had a father..." Anne trailed off.

Tears rolled down the old woman's face. Kat clenched her hands into fists. She thrust fist forward. Anne looked at her with a surprised and confused expression.

"I swear it, for the both of us, this man will pay!" Kat promised.

"Thank you...Kat...if we never see each other again, for whatever reason...I wish you the best of luck in everything," Anne smiled again.

Kat nodded and left without another word to the woman. She made her way over the the house were she knew John was awake despite the late hour. She let herself in through the back door. He neglected to lock up most of the time now. Maybe he hoped to let her in and catch her. Kat heard him in the basement. He had an office and the laundry room down there. She knocked on the basement door and waited. Frantic footsteps told her were John was. He ran up the steps only to be met by Kat's fist. He fell back down the stairs and landed unconscious at the bottom. He lay motionless on the concrete below. Kat grinned.

It took about fifteen minuted to get him taped to a chair. Kat taped the chair to a metal support pole. It took almost two whole rolls of duct tape to satisfy her. John was taped from the chest down. His arms were stuck to the chair arms. His legs were taped apart to the chair legs. His chest and torso were taped to the back of the chair and the pole. Kat thought she might have overdone it, but she really liked duct tape. One last piece went over his mouth before he woke. John's eyes went wide the moment they found Kat. She held no weapon, just the camera. She was going to record everything.

"Looky who's awake," Kat said to the camera.

John made attempts to scream for the next five minutes. Kat set the camera down and yawned loudly behind the mask. John stopped his pathetic attempts.

"Done now? I'd like to talk to you for a bit. It's been a _long_ time since we've exchanged words," Kat stepped toward him.

He struggled to get free. Kat shook her head at him. He glared back.

"I imagine you want to ask a few questions. I'll let you...so long as you're quiet. Yelling gives me a headache. You do _so_ much of it lately," Kat ripped the tape off of his face.

"YOU _MOTHER_ _FUCKER_ I'LL-" John received a massive punch to his jaw.

His head snapped to the side, his eyes rolling in their sockets.

"I told you to be quiet. I'll allow you three questions. Choose them wisely. If you yell again, or if you ask more than three, you'll be hit again. _Don't_ try my patience," Kat warned.

John spat some blood at her feet and received another brutal punch. He started yelling again and this time got a devastating kick to his gut. Kat was proud of herself. She'd always had strong legs, but now they were truly dangerous marvels of muscle. Chun Lee, look out!

"Where's my baby?" John asked once he got his breath back.

"Somewhere safe. Somewhere far from you. She's gone to a place where she won't have to worry about a man like you _ruining_ her life!" Kat barked.

John glared at her, blood running from his nose and lips. He was thinking hard about his next question. Kat smiled at him again behind the mask. That was the same look she'd given him behind his back all those years ago.

"What are you going to do...kill me?" John asked.

"Yes, you _are_ going to die tonight. But not by my hand. I will watch you die and keep it as a sweet memory. I will share this memory with those who need it. You...will be the key to happiness for some...and fear for others. Be proud, John," Kat sneered.

She paced back and forth in front of him like a caged wildcat. He began to cry, watching her and pulling at his restraints. Kat waited patiently for his final question. He sniffled, splattering blood down his shirt. Kat growled, disgusted.

"Who..._are_ you?!" John asked.

Kat stopped directly in front of him. She turned to face him. He stared at her, fear and panic in his eyes. Kat loved it. She love what he felt, and that she had made him feel it.

"I am one of the girls you _hurt_, John. Remember seven years ago when you lived in Jamestown? Remember how you had two lovely daughter's come live with you, and your girlfriend's daughter shared a room with them? Do you remember what you _did_ to those girls? What you did to the little nine year old that will probably never be right?!" Kat punched him again, shaking with rage.

Her whole body was trembling with years of repressed anger and violence. John was back to crying now. Every tear that fell from his eyes made Kat feel better. He was crying the tears she'd forced herself not to.

"Do you remember how the family treated them? They said they were disappointed in _us_! They were _disappointed_ in the _victims_! They hated us because they thought _you_ were a perfect man...but you proved them wrong. Got arrested...got in trouble, _didn't_ _you_ John?" Kat pointed at him.

"You..." he croaked.

"Yeah..._me_," Kat laughed, removing her mask.

John stared disbelievingly at her. She grinned right back at him. She began to pace again.

"The one who got so unlucky as to look like you. The one...who _couldn't_ forgive! All this time...you've ruined so much for me. So _so_ much. You left a scar on me that I couldn't get rid of. I could cover it, hide it, never tell anyone it wasn't there, but...it _was_!" Kat kicked his shin.

She heard the bone break with a satisfying crack. John cried out and was punched.

"I lost a lot thanks to _you_. I lost family, and friends, and I lost part of myself. I wasn't right after that. I was messed up in all fields. But you know what...I really _should_ thank you. If not for the two and a half years spent with you in terror, I never would have gained the strength I did. I never would have made myself into a scary bad ass in school. I never would have stopped the bullying that I dealt with. I never would have learned to be stronger than the jerks I dated. I never would have realized just how awful. No hard time...could ever _compare_ to _what-you-did_!" Kat punched him with each of those three words, yelling now, "So, you know what, thank you...for being he worst lesson I _ever_ had to learn!"

Kat slammed him across the face one last time. Her knuckles were bloody. A quick rinse in the sink on the far wall showed her it wasn't her own blood. She returned to where John was sitting. He was barely conscious. Blood covered his face and a good portion of his stomach and chest. Kat knelt beside him.

"John..." she whistled, "John! Heeeeyyyyy...You want me to let you out now, don't you?"

John nodded slowly, "Please..."

"Hmmm."

"I'm...shorrwy...I...I'm sho-sorr...yyyy," he slurred.

"I bet you are," Kat found a long knife.

John whimpered and struggled to no avail. Kat cut him free roughly. She caught his flesh a few times, eliciting yelps. John fell to the floor face first once he was free. Kat backed up to watch him drag himself toward the stairs. She smiled knowingly. John raised himself to one knee and looked up the stairs to what he though would be his freedom. He froze in terror. Slenderman was standing there, tendrils flaring. He snatched the bloodied man from the floor. Kat watched from the bottom of the stairs as John was ripped to shreds. Her boss walked past her with the parts. He dumped the bits of the man on the floor. Kat watched them catch fire along with everything flammable in the basement.

"Let's go," he grabbed Kat's hand.

They reappeared standing between the trees and Anne Marie's house. They watched the fire consume jhon's house. Firefighters and emergency crews arrived. Kat gasped when one of them looked in their direction.

"They can't see us," Slenderman said, lifting her onto a branch so she was eye level with him.

"I left my mask there," Kat sighed forlornly.

"You can make another," he said, "It's time you went home."

"Can I say goodbye to Anne Marie?"

Slenderman lowered her to the ground and let her go. Kat went in the back door to avoid gaining the attention of the neighbors who were coming out all over the streets. She found Anne Marie in the kitchen as usual. Something was wrong. The appliances and things were gone. The room was dark, the only source of light being the what was coming through the window from the fire. The house was dusty and smelled moldy. None of the pictures were on the walls and the table looked like it hadn't been touched in years.

"Anne Marie?" Kat whispered.

Anne Marie turned to her. Kat nearly cried out. She was see-through! Kat could see the fire outside right through her torso.

"You did as you promised. Congratulations. I never got my chance to do so. Hope you don't mind me sharing in your victory," the old woman smiled.

"Not at all," Kat felt tears well up in her eyes.

"Now, go home and find yourself again," Anne said.

"What do yo mean?" Kat brushed the ears away.

"Throughout these weeks you have fallen from sanity, Dear. You've lost yourself in your hate for that man. He's gone now. You can finally be at peace, like me...but alive. Don't let him affect you anymore," Anne Marie motioned to the window.

Kat looked at her reflection. There wasn't much different about it. She was in better shape, her skin could use some sun, but what caught her off guard were her eyes. They weren't her eyes anymore. They were they eyes of a madman. Kat sighed and closed them for a while, then opened them and no longer saw the reflection. Only the flames.

"You can be free now. Go, be free. You can focus on what and _who_ makes you happy now. Be happy with him," Anne Marie said.

Kat turned back to he old woman, "I will."

She walked to the door, ready to go. Kat turned one last time to say goodbye, but Anne Marie Barkly was gone. She smiled and went to her master. He took her back to the cabin. Kat took a shower and started her laundry. She sat on the couch with the last cookie. Slenderman set the camera down beside her.

"Don't forget this," he said taking a seat in his chair.

"Thank you," Kat said.

She meant it for everything he'd let her do. She meant it for what _he'd_ done. She meant it for letting her meet Anne Marie. Kat tucked the camera under the couch. She finished her cookie feeling alright again.

"We still haven't had our talk, you know. We were supposed to talk weeks ago...What were you thinking about?" Kat asked.

"I will tell you in the morning. I promise," he said.

Kat huffed at him, but nodded anyway. Anymore emotional crap would probably kill her. She went to bed just a little bit later. Kat tossed and turned for a while. She called out for her boss who came in immediately.

"Will you sit with me?" she asked.

Slenderman nodded. He sat on the side of her bed angled so he could face her. Kat closed her eyes and curled her body around him partially. She was asleep seconds afterwords. Slenderman brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.

"How can I tell you..?"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for the wait guys. Hope you like this chapter better that the last one. Reviews please? By the way, there is now a group pic of Ria, Splendy, Kat, and slender up in my Slendy/Splendy folder on deviantart. Head on over and check it out if ya like. Also, if you are not reading Slender What? You have not seen the new project idea. If you want me to make videos featuring the voices of the characters from the stories, let me know. I'll only do it if I know someone will actually watch them. Shout outs:**

**SixxEclipses – Well here's what you've been waiting for. I wanted to surprise the reader with something different. I've seen a few movies with similar scenarios and I wanted to try my hand at it.**

**DreaminMyDreams – I know it was quite a dark chapter last time, but honestly, this story is supposed to be quite a bit darker that Slender What? This is on a more _Slender_ end of the spectrum that Ria's story.**

**Realizations**

Kat woke early in the morning. Slenderman had left her bedside by then. She sat up, searching for him, but a quick scan with her senses told her he wasn't there. Kat sighed as she crawled out of her bed and made her way into the living room. Somehow, after all she'd been through she felt perfectly normal again. She didn't feel like she'd nearly lost her mind and just killed the man who'd done so much to hurt her. She didn't feel like she'd been gone from the cabin for three weeks. The only thing that cleared it up was the dust that had collected all over her things. Kat brushed a finger along the table. A long tail followed it.

"What's wrong today?" Kat asked herself.

She no longer felt weird like she had been in Bemus Point, but she felt an odd feeling. It was like that feeling a kid gets when they get called to the office at school without knowing what for. She felt a small sense of dread. Dread for what? Perhaps it was whatever her boss would have to say to her when he returned from wherever he was.

Kat entered the kitchen and began a searched for still edible food. Most of the things in the fridge had to be thrown out. The cabinets luckily had plenty of things she could cook that weren't perishable. Kat selected pancakes, her favorite, and some cereal. She made herself the pancakes and cereal then moved back into the bedroom to get dressed. It was still very early. She had risen just after the sun that morning. When had her boss left her, and when would he be back? Kat thought about it as she pulled her clothes on, absentmindedly tugging on her jacket. She was used to wearing it all the time now, even though summer was well on.

"Isn't that a bit warm for you?" Slenderman asked from his seat in his chair.

Kat started at the sound of his voice. She hadn't noticed him when she'd opened the door of her room. She smiled at him and shrugged.

"I'm wearing a tank top underneath it. It's not that hot in here," Kat pulled the jacket aside to show him the strap of her shirt.

"You'll have to find something different to wear once it starts getting hotter outside. I don't want you to have a heat stoke," Slender beckoned her with a hand.

Kat went to him feeling giddy. She hadn't noticed how much she'd missed him. Those weeks had gone so fast for her that she'd hardly thought to miss her boss. Slender took her hand and pulled her right in front of him. Even sitting, he was perfectly eye level with her standing up. Kat was glad to be able to look at him rather than up at him.

"You still want to know what has been on my mind?" he asked.

"It's getting to be a mystery at this point. We were supposed to have talked about it way back before this John drama went off. You've had a lot more time to think about it now," Kat said.

"Speaking of which, you'll need to change that hair of yours," Slender reached a hand into her mop of messy hair and ruffled it.

"Aw, don't do that, Boss!" Kat ducked away from him.

He'd tangled her messy hair worse than before. Kat ran her fingers through it while Slenderman laughed quietly. She peered at him past her palms. She hadn't heard him laugh like that before. It was beautiful sound. Kat finished her untangling and snorted at her boss.

"You don't happen to know where I can get some hair dye, do you?" she asked.

"What color?" Slender responded.

"Hmm," Kat looked up at the ceiling, then back down at him, "Electric blue...of course I'd need bleach..."

Slenderman was gone before she could blink. She'd only been half serious. Where the hell was he going to go to find hair dye like that? Then again, where the hell had he gone to get everything for the cabin? Kat shrugged, thinking it best not to question him. Still, the thought of Slenderman being some kind of master thief cracked her up. She laughed aloud at the though of him in a classic ski mask and striped shirt. Twenty minutes after he left, her boss was back with the bleach and hair dye.

"You do this. I'll tell you what I've been thinking about while you dye your hair," he said, handing the items to her.

"Ok," Kat removed her jacket, went into the bathroom, and began her bleaching.

Slender stood in the doorway to watch. Kat squinted at him, signaling that he should start explaining.

"That day, when you asked if I was sad...I wasn't _sad_, exactly. I was thinking about how different you are and how much differently I've treated you from my other proxies. I know my brother told you a great deal about all that. But I know he couldn't supply an answer as to _why_ it has been that way. Do you have a guess?" Slender asked.

"All I can think of is it could be something to do with me being different...like Ria," Kat said.

Kat was bent over with her head down and eyes shut. She was carefully applying the bleach to the hair on the back of her head. Her skin was extremely sensitive, so if she messed up she was in for a world of pain.

"That is a part of it. Another part of it is _my_ heart," Slenderman went silent for a moment.

Kat flipped her head back up so she could see her work in the mirror. She bleached what she missed tenderly. Slender took the bottle of bleach from her hand and pushed her to lean forward again. He applied bleach to spots she couldn't see with as much care and gentle hands as possible. He washed his hands when he was done, careful not to touch his suit. Kat thanked him as she sat on the edge of the tub to wait out the forty minutes. Slender stood before her, thinking.

"If you're going to tell me that you have heart problems, I'm cuttin' you offa child burgers, Mister," Kat smirked.

Slenderman was taken aback by her joke. She'd never joked with him before then. She had been the epitome of a respectful, quiet, obedient servant. She'd never made any remarks to him about the rumors that spread on the internet, she'd only asked questions. To hear her playing with him so easily, sounding so comfortable, was strange and welcome.

"I assure you, I'm in good health. What I meant is, for some reason that I couldn't understand at first, I wanted to do more for and with you than any other proxy I have claimed. I have felt the need to protect you, to teach you everything I could, to make sure you were safe from harm from my kind as well as yours. That is why I put you out here, so far from civilization. When you told me that you loved me...I felt like I'd been given a responsibility to you somehow. It was very confusing. I am not used to feeling responsibility to anyone but myself and my blood. It would have been less strange to me if I'd had that feeling toward my brother," Slender rubbed his cheek, resting his right elbow in his left palm.

"Is...that bad of me?" Kat asked.

"No," he shook his head, "At first, I thought it was. I tried hard to understand why I was so compelled to stay with so so often and train you. My brother told you that I usually take longer to train mine...but I felt like I had to. I _had_ to get you ready. I still feel like whatever I was getting you ready for hasn't happened yet. That is something else I am not used to. I don't like not knowing what is coming. Not knowing what is going to happen. I can't tell if one of mine will come here again...or if something is to come from this world..."

Slenderman beat his fist on the wall once. Kat jumped. He wasn't usually the aggressive type. She stood and went to him, taking the hand he'd used to hit the wall in her own. She looked up at him calmly.

"Boss, whatever..._whoever_ it is...whether we're ready for it or not, I promise, I'll be fine. You've taught me more than I even knew I was capable of learning. If there's a trial or some creep out there waiting to cause me trouble...or you...I'll show them not to mess with Slenderman's proxy!" Kat grinned.

Slender ran a thumb over her cheek. Kat could tell by the way his face moved, he was smiling. She loved it when he smiled. It made her happy to know she could make him smile.

"I am glad to hear that...but that is not the end of what I have to tell you. You see, I _did_ eventually figure out why I was working so hard to take care of you. The answer came to me shortly after a discussion with another of mine and a talk with my brother. That day, during Ria's trial, I was enjoying my time with you. For once, I could be around you without the need to worry about your trial. I'd seen you train Ria with fire and force, while still being able to help her when she needed you. I was proud. I knew I'd done well enough for the time being and I wanted to relax, as I so badly needed to.

When my brother showed up, I...I was jealous. I didn't want anyone to intrude on our time. I knew you loved him, and wanted him to stay, so I said nothing of it. I didn't want to upset you when you were already worried about our friend. But when he held your hand...when he was able to make you smile...when _he_ was the one to entertain you...I grew more jealous. I know I'm not as bright in personality as him...but I wanted to be the one...to make you smile. I wanted to keep you happy that day. For the first time in a long time, I felt inferior to my brother," Slenderman sat Kat back down on the tub and sat on the toilet lid.

"But...Boss..." Kat held fast to his hand, "You..."

Slender held up his free hand to quiet her, "When I returned to you after the weekend with Ria, I was even more envious than before. I was afraid that he might have taken you too far from home. I was jealous that you had had such a good time. I was ashamed a well...for thinking such childish thoughts. To be jealous of your happiness with another...Then you got hurt. I knew I couldn't lay so much information on you in the hospital. While you were there, I spoke with my brother again. I asked him about what you two had talked about while he was here. That is when I got the idea to send you to Bemus Point. I knew that if I was going to tell you something so important, I wanted you to be alright first.

I know that humans have trouble being happy with one person, when another has done something that continues to affect them. If I wanted you to hear the truth, I would have to wait for you to heal yourself. I left you to decide what you would do about your father. During those weeks, I was being tormented by the lack of knowledge. I had guessed what you were going to do, but I had no idea what you were feeling until last night. I watched as you spoke with him. I heard your words...and I felt what was in your heart.

I knew then that I had made the right decision. You would not have been able to handle what I wanted to tell you and allowed yourself whatever feelings it may have brought you while you still had that pain in your heart. When I collected you last night...everything changed. You were relieved, _elated_...you were free of the burden that had weighed you down for these many years. Now, with all of that out of he way...I can tell you what was on my mind..." Slenderman stood up, "But not right now."

"Huh?" Kat gawked at her boss incredulously.

"You have to wash the bleach out. It's done its job," Slender tapped the mirror.

He was right, Kat's hair was strikingly blonde. She'd never seen her hair get that light before. Kat groaned. She really wanted to hear what he had to say, but it would be rude to hear something so important with her head bent over in the tub.

"When will you tell me?" Kat asked.

"When you are done coloring," he answered, leaving her to wash her hair.

Kat washed the bleach from her hair quickly. She dried her hair as best she could with a towel and brushed it constantly so it would finish drying faster. She put the dye in it as soon as it was dry and waited in the bathroom again for the thirty minutes. Slenderman sat with her. Kat felt nervous and excited at the same time. He was silent as he sat with her, not giving her a single clue as to what he still had yet to say. Kat's mind wandered, but she forced herself not to imagine what he might say. The last thing she wanted to do was get the wrong idea and feel awkward when she heard what the truth was.

Kat washed the dye from her hair excitedly. She dried her hair and brushed it, though the brush made little difference in it. After a bleaching and a dye job he hair was always fluffy and messy for a few days. Kat stared at her reflection regretfully. She hated the mop she'd been stuck with. Slenderman chuckled from behind her. He reached up and took her head in his hands. Reach ran is long fingers through her hair slowly. Kat was sleepy the moment he started this. She closed her eyes, relaxing into his soft touches. He'd never made so much physical contact with her before. He was so gentle. It felt good.

Kat's eyes opened when his hands left her head. Her hair was smooth and straight. She gasped at her reflection. She whipped around to stare at her boss. He smiled back in his featureless way.

"Slenderman, world's greatest hair straightener. Now available only in this special T.V. offer. No shipping and handling required," Kat said in her best salesman voice.

"Very funny. Come on," Slender stood and left the bathroom.

Kat followed him. He walked with her at his heels all the way to the lake. They traversed the lake's edge for a while before they reached an outcropping of rocks that went over the water. Kat could use this place as a sort of natural dive spot. She sat down with her legs swinging freely above the water. Slenderman did the same. Kat laughed silently when he leaned back casually, supporting himself with his arms. He sighed, leaned forward, and rested his elbows on his knees. He just couldn't seem to get comfortable. Kat made a bold move by grabbing his arm. She pulled it around her shoulders and leaned back a bit so he could put some weight on her.

"Better?" she looked up at him.

"Yes," he nodded.

Kat smiled, "So, now will you tell me?"

"Yes. The thing I have been trying so hard to figure out, the thing that has confused me and made it hard for me to speak to you...What I've wanted to tell you..." Slenderman removed his arm and turned partially to face her, "I love you. I'm not sure when...or how...but I fell in love with you sometime after I took you as my own. I want you to be more than my proxy. More than my obedient servant. I want you...to really be _mine_. I want your heart...and I want you...to accept mine."

Kat stared wide eyed at her boss. No amount of imagination could have prepared her for this. She looked out over the lake, thinking about his words. She felt a plethora of emotions run through her all at once. Happiness, she was loved by the one person she loved and trusted beyond anyone else. Relief, he had not had something bad to tell her, and her feelings weren't so awkward anymore. Fear, she was just a human girl, was she really worthy of him? Kat turned back to Slenderman. She could have sworn she heard him gulp. His face was unreadable, but she knew he was nervous, just like she was. She blinked back tears before she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly around the waist. He put his arms about her, leaning his head down to rest on hers.

"I'll be yours...I'll let you have my heart, and I swear I'll accept yours and take care of it. I love you so much...I loved you as a legend long before we met...and now I'll love you as mine," Kat cried onto his chest.

"Thank you, Kat..." Slenderman sighed.

Kat pulled back to loo at him with teary eyes, "You said my name."

"Did you think I didn't know it?" Slender chuckled.

"I dunno. You've never said it before," Kat buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"I'll say it more often, then," Slender pulled her so she was kneeling in between his legs.

Kat made herself as tall as she could so she could look him in the face. They put their foreheads together and Kat closed her eyes. He held her close to him with his arms. His tendrils came out to hold her more securely. Kat didn't mind in the slightest. She felt safe and protected in his hold. Nothing could tear her from him.

Kat opened her eyes. She decided to make another bold move. She kissed Slenderman's cheek softly. He twitched as if he wasn't expecting it, but he didn't move away. Kat nuzzled his cheek with a smile. He was blushing! Kat made a move to kiss him again, but his hand came up to stop her. Kat blinked confusedly for a moment. Slender removed his hand and gave the answer to his actions. His face split again like it had the night they went for ice cream. Kat beamed.

"Like this," Slender said, pulling Kat back to him.

Kat was lost in their kiss. Her lips molded perfectly with his. It gave her a wonderful feeling of warmth and a lightheaded sensation that she didn't want to go away. His tongue slid out to tease her lips. Kat let him into her mouth and eagerly explored his. He tasted wonderful. His tongue was so smooth and warm it sent shivers down her spine. She found through her exploration of his mouth that he had sharp teeth behind those smooth lips. It was exciting to feel something so dangerous so close to her and know that he would cause her no pain.

They pair pulled away from each other, both panting like they'd run a mile. Kat was flushed, as was Slenderman. The color looked good on his cheeks. Kat kissed his lips softly again. Slender responded by lifting her from her ground and standing. He walked them back to the house and sat on the couch. He fell onto his back, pulling her to lay on top of him. Kat rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat through his suit.

"Sadly...we can't say like this for long," Slender sighed, rubbing her back.

"Why not?" Kat pouted.

"If you want you meet Ethan, you will have to leave in an hour," he said.

"Alright," Kat closed her eyes.

One hour was all she had to enjoy before she went off to see her friends again and meet a new one. Kat wanted to see them, but she also wanted to stay with her boss and relax in his arms. She rubbed his arm slowly and gently. He had closed the split in his face, hiding his tongue and lips from her. Kat didn't like that. She leaned up and kissed where his lips had been. He took the hint, opening back up for her. They kissed again for a long time, just reveling in each others' tastes and touches. Kat began to feel adventurous. She pulled away from his lips to kiss his chin. She watched for any reaction from him. Receiving nothing negative, she kissed his neck right below his jaw. She continued until she was met with the collar of his shirt. Slender put a hand to the back of her head to stop her.

Kat waited while he undid his tie and a few buttons. His hand moved to the small of her back. Kat took it was a go ahead sign. She pulled is shirt aside and kissed all over his shoulders. He must have been sensitive there, because he shivered and moaned a little. Kat bit her lip. That sound was enough to make _her_ want to moan, too. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to do anything about the heat stirring between them. Time went by far to fast for Kat's liking. Slenderman was all too soon putting his tie and shirt back in order. Kat reluctantly took his hand and was taken away to the entrance to the facility where Ethan was.

She saw Ria and Don inside the glass doors, heading down the hallway with a nurse. Slenderman disappeared, promising silently to return shortly. Kat pulled up her hood and ran into the building. Don ad Ria had their backs to her.

"Wait up!"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Not gonna lie, I'm loving this stuff right now. I bet you guys hated the cliffhanger on Slender What?, right? Haha...anyway,read and review please! Shout outs:**

**Splendyandslendy – You're an emotional one, aren't ya? Lol, glad you liked it.**

**DreamingMyDreams – your review cracked me up, no lie. I ad to set the laptop aside while I rofl'd. Yes yes, all the fan girls pushed me to put them together...**

**SixxEclipses – I like cuddles...lol.**

**Animeguard – Wanna know something funny? That whole this was made up on the spot. I'm not kidding. I sat there for ten minutes like..."Uh, how the fuck should I write this?" it wasn't written or planned at all. It sounds cheesy, but I just let my heart and imagination lead on that one. Slendy and I are full of surprises.**

**cyndermetaknight – Thank ya much. I'm working on getting help with the vid right now.**

**Mission Improbable**

Kat had a plan in her mind before Ria could even ask what it was. She broke it down to the others calmly, smirking at her own cleverness. She was really looking forward to breaking into the center and playing spy. Something in the danger and the thought of being like a supernatural ninja excited her. Her friends didn't seem to be as keen on the plan as she was. None the less, they agreed. Kat knew they would. The moment she'd walked into the Recovery Center, she'd felt a terrible darkness coming from the place. The nurse that had brought them to Ethan's room had been a particular nasty source of bad feelings. When she came to the room to tell them that the appointment was over, Kat had had to fight very hard not to grimace and push her out.

Kat separated from Ria and Donovan outside the building. She ran over to the garden, where her boss was waiting for her. He took her hand in his without a word and in a moment they were back at the cabin.

"I don't feel good about this," Slenderman said once he released Kat's hand.

"Oh, so I _am_ the only one who's excited..." Kat bit her lip.

"Tonight, you had better be careful. You know the limits of my power. I can only cover you from a certain distance. If you go too far you will be seen," her boss said.

"I know. I'll be as careful as I can under the conditions. Now, I gotta get things ready..." Kat entered the cabin.

"What do you plan to take?" Slender asked.

"A knife for starters. Maybe some duct tape...I love duct tape! Oh...hey, we might need some masks," Kat turned back to Slender.

"I can provide that much," Slender said, disappearing.

Kat shook her head. It was kind of rude to just disappear without at least telling someone you were going to. She figured there wasn't much she could do about it. It was his way after all. Kat turned her focus to collecting things that she might need during the break in. She selected a knife, some rope, duct tape, a flashlight, and one of the cameras. She made sure to put in an empty tape. Kat thought for a moment, wondering how she'd acquired tapes in the first place. Probably the same way she got everything else she needed, her boss.

Kat made herself some lunch when her collecting was done. She waited for Slenderman's return on the back patio. He came to her just as she finished her meal. In his hands he held a bundle of soft looking black cloth. Kat took the bundle from him, inspecting it. There were three masks, all big enough to completely cover a person's head. They resembled the head pieces to morph suits. Kat strongly suspected that that had been exactly what they came from.

"Where'd you find these?" Kat quirked a brow.

"Don't worry about that. They won't be missed," Slender answered.

"Really?" Kat shook her head.

Hours later, Kat was back out in front of the cabin with Slenderman. She had all her things tucked away in her plentiful pockets. She could barely contain the excitement within her. Her boss had noticed her mood. He put a hand around her neck, using the knuckle of his thumb to make her look at him. Kat made no move to get away. She was kind of entertained by the way he was holding her. Her cheerfulness dampened when she sensed the serious aura coming from him.

"Do not forget yourself tonight. You aren't just going to be running around in a park. These people have chemicals and drugs to use against you. I can't be at your side this time," he said in a harsh tone.

"Hey, this is your number one proxy your talkin' to here! I'll be careful, I already told you that. Those jerks won't touch me with anything...besides...I've got someone I need to protect...and someone I need to come back to," Kat touched his hand.

"You had _better_ come back to me," he whispered, leaning close to her.

Kat smiled softly then kissed him. It was still a little odd for her to do so. She didn't mind kissing him when he had no mouth, but the fact that she could kiss him at all was still setting in. His hand went away from her throat to travel to the back of her head. Slender pulled her closer to him as they kissed in their odd way. Kat sighed when they parted. She took his hand in hers, wishing she could have stopped time right then. They were gone from her cabin and back in the garden where Ria, Don, and Splendorman were waiting.

After a brief check to make sure everyone had everything Kat separated from her friends once again. She ran with Slender close behind her to Ethan's room window. She looked to her friends, who were heading for the front entrance. Ria looked her way for a moment. Kat winked at her with a grin. She lost sight of her when she went around the corner of the building. She made it to Ethan's window and her boss lifted her up. He unlocked the window so she could get in. Ethan woke the moment Kat's feet touched the floor. He shot up in his bed like a vampire out of its coffin.

Kat held up her hands defensively, "Relax, it's me!"

"Kat, you're really here!" Ethan ran to her.

The red head hugged Kat for the second time that day. Kat hugged him back shortly.

"Look, there coming for me soon, what are we going to do?" Ethan asked.

"I'm going to follow you and find out for myself what they do that you can't remember. They won't be able to see me, but you will. Don't call out for me, don't stare at me for too long, and don't try to communicate with me, go it?" Kat went to the door.

Ethan nodded. Kat pressed her ear to the door to listen for footsteps. She heard some seconds later coming down the hall. She moved back, signaling Ethan to get back into bed. She stayed close to the window while two men walked in. They roused Ethan from his false slumber. The men put him in a wheelchair and headed out. Kat slipped out the door just before it closed. She followed the men and her friend down the hallway to an elevator. She stepped in at the last second so she wouldn't bump into anyone. One of the men pushed a button for the basement. Ethan stared blankly at her. He had to pretend she wasn't within inches of him. If he reached out he could touch her. Kat could tell he was scared.

"This is your last session," the brunette haired man said.

Ethan glanced at him but said nothing. Kat didn't like the tone in the man's voice. Maybe they had come at just the right time. There was no time to mull things over, though. The doors to the elevator slid open at their stop. Kat backed out quickly, allowing the men to get in front of her again. They took Ethan past a male nurse at a desk. Kat surveyed her surroundings. The lights here were dim. They made the whole atmosphere even creepier than before. Kat followed the men around a corner. They pushed Ethan into a room with a wide doorway and a window that you could see through from the hall. There was a metal table and chair inside. Both pieces of furniture were bolted to the floor. The chair had leather straps on the back and arms. Ethan shivered as he was placed into the scary looking seat. Kat stood across the room where he could clearly see her. She gave him a thumbs up. They all waited in silence for a few minutes. The men who had brought Ethan down stood near the door like bouncers.

"Oh, boys, no no..." a black haired man walked in and said.

This man appeared to be the head honcho. He had a white coat like the others, but there was something in his voice that told Kat he was calling she shots. Something she didn't like very much.

"This is his last session...I'll need him in the other room this time," the man said.

"Sorry, Doctor Alan," the brunette said.

Kat watched the men release Ethan from the chair and push him none too gently back into the wheelchair. They rolled him out of the room. Kat trotted silently along behind them again. They made another turn, leading her further and further from her boss. Kat could feel him silently warning her that she was almost outside of the safe zone for cover. Kat halted but the men kept going. She watched them take Ethan to another room not too far away that also had a window. She could see them strapping Ethan into another chair. They closed the door behind them. Kat's heart sank at the sound of the latch clicking. There was no way she could get to that room without making herself visible. Even if she could, she wouldn't be able to open that door without the men noticing. It was probably locked anyway.

"Hello?" the desk nurse's voice startled her.

Kat spun on her heel to look at him. He was down at the intersection of the halls answering a phone. She sighed in relief. Kat made her way back toward the desk little by little. She constantly turned back to look through the window at Ethan. Nothing was happening yet. He was just talking. The nurse at the desk began to sound frantic and frustrated.

"What do you mean _gone_?! He's in with the kid right now! Did you check under the desk? Oh, you have gotta be _shittin_' me!" the nurse growled, slamming the phone down.

He stalked away from the desk past Kat. He went to the door of the room they had Ethan in and pounded on it rapidly. The black haired man answered it. He was not at all pleased about the interruption.

"I'm sorry, Sir, Conny says the files for this kid just went missing!" the nurse said.

"What do you mean 'went missing'?" Dr. Alan barked.

"She looked everywhere. They're gone!" the nurse said, backing up.

"Damn!" Dr. Alan swore, leaving the room.

The nurse followed him until he reached the desk. The doctor got in the elevator and began mashing the button for the lobby. Kat waited until the nurse at the desk had his back turned. She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Boss, but I have to go outside your protection...there's no other way," she whispered.

Kat bolted down the hall the second the door to the room Ethan was in closed. She slid under the window and sprung back up on the side furthest from the desk. She watched the nurse down the hall for a little while. He didn't look her way. Kat peered into the window carefully. The two men were standing very close to the table. On the table was a manilla folder with some papers inside, a pen, a bottle of pills, and two mean looking night sticks. Kat pulled out the camera. She pointed it at the window and started recording.

"Why am I in here this time?" Ethan asked.

"It's your last session. The other room is for looks. This is the room where we keep the happy drugs that will make it so you don't hurt," the blond man said.

"Hurt?" Ethan squeaked.

"Yeah...see, these night sticks _aren't_ for looks, kiddo," the brunette flashed his teeth.

"You...you can't do that!" Ethan shouted.

"Aw, but we won't...You're going to have jumped from your bedroom window. The depression that seeing your friends caused and finding out that you'd have to stay here another year will have driven you to suicide," the blond shrugged.

"You should have given the doctor what he wanted. He just wanted to meet your friend...study him on a cold slab...that's all," the brunette laughed.

Kat forced away the image of her beloved Slenderman sliced open on an operating table. The thought made her sick to her stomach. She gritted her teeth when the men picked up the night sticks. They walked around the table to Ethan. The poor boy was terrified at this point. He fought against his restraints to no avail. Kat was his only hope for escape. She shut the camera off quickly. She looked around the hall for something to cause a distraction. The only thing close to her was a glass case with an ax, a rolled up fire hose, and a fire alarm. Kat reached in her pocket for her lighter. She climbed up and balanced on the metal wheel containing the hose. She flicked the lighter, igniting the tiny flame. She held it up to the sprinkler system for just a second. The alarm sounded instantly. Water rained down on her from above. The men in the room shouted something she didn't make out over the sound.

Kat smashed the glass case with her sleeve protecting her arm. She grabbed the ax, giving it a couples swings for practice. The nurse down the all had spotted her now. He stared for half a second and went for the phone. Kat ran down the all at him. He picked up the receiver to call the floor above. Kat leaped into the air.

"Sir, someone's down here! They-AHH!" the nurse had no time to finish what he was saying as the ax went deep into his shoulder.

He went down hard. The ax had cleaved all the way into his spine. Kat turned back to the room. The two men were standing outside the door with the nightsticks still in their hands. Kat didn't hesitate to charge at them. The blond got the ax blade in his stomach. The brunette hit Kat on the back of her shoulder once before she sliced his head clean off. The water pouring down on her was making it hard to see. Footsteps and screaming sounded overhead. They were evacuating the patients. Kat ran to Ethan to free him from the chair. She just got him loose when Dr. Alan slammed into the door frame.

"What the hell?!" he looked at the two dead men.

Two more men appeared behind him. A woman showed up as well. Ethan backed into a wall. Kat just rolled her eyes.

"How many of you guys _are_ there?!" she bolted forward.

The doctor dodged her attack. The two men attempted to get thew ax from her, but it cost and arm and a leg...and their lives. The woman ran down the hallway screaming. Kat ran after her. She couldn't catch her on the slippery floors so she did the next best thing. She threw the ax as hard as she could. It thudded into the woman's back. She went forward a bit and slid to a stop on the floor. Kat whipped her head around to look for Ethan. Dr. Alan had him by his throat against the wall. There was a needle deep in his neck. The doctor had his hand poised and ready to push whatever was in the syringe into Ethan. Kat stepped toward them slowly.

"Stay back!" the doctor yelled, "I'll kill him right now! I mean it! Stay back!"

Kat stuffed her hands in her pockets. She grimaced at the man. He started away from the wall with Ethan step by step. Kat nodded her head toward the door. Dr. Alan smiled triumphantly at her. He looked to the door, his means of escape. Ethan looked at Kat. Fear was written all over his face. Kat winked. She pulled her right hand from her pocket with her knife tightly clutched in her fingers. She flipped the long blade open before the doctor had time to register what was going on. Kat cut the hand off the held Ethan's neck. Dr. Alan screamed in pain. He let go of the syringe. Ethan pulled it out of his neck quickly.

"You crazy-" Kat silenced him mid sentence.

"Can we go?" Ethan grabbed Kat's left hand.

"You have to get outside with the other patients," Kat nodded.

They walked into the hallway around the bodies. The water was still coming down on them from the pipes above. The two only made it halfway down the hall when a man carrying an umbrella walked out of the elevator. Ethan bumped into Kat when she stopped. This man was different from the others. He was far older than anyone Kat had encountered. He had short, thin, white hair on his head. His icy blue eyes sparkled a less than friendly way. The thing that bothered Kat, beside the dark aura emanating from him, was his face. There were only scars where his eyebrows should have been. His nose was flattened and scarred as well. His lips were even flat. The lobes of his ears were gone. Everywhere something was missing, he had scars. Kat looked at his hands. His nails were long and sharp.

"Don't you know it's bad luck to have an umbrella open indoors?" Kat remarked.

"Bad luck is the least of my worries, it would seem," the man said.

His voice was cold. It was clear and powerful, even though he wasn't speaking loudly. Ethan gripped Kat's hand tighter. Kat flipped her knife back and forth in her hand. The man paid her actions no mind. He looked at Ethan, then back to her. His expression gave away nothing. He did not move.

"Look, I've got a lot of blood on my hands right now, so would you mind not making me kill you?" Kat waved her hand to tell him to move aside.

"Oh my, no. I can't let you out of here, Darling. Ethan...he is already as good as dead, but if you're a good girl, I'll let you live one I've gotten from you what I want," the old man said.

"Fuck this, Ethan, let's go," Kat pulled Ethan around the man and to the stairs. The old man moved to stop her, but the they were too fast. Kat put her mask on over her face. When they reached the lobby floor she pulled Ethan along with her to one of the open emergency exits. Police were already showing up outside with firetrucks and rescue vehicles. Kat shoved Ethan out the door. He looked back at her confusedly.

"Go on, get to the cops!" Kat ordered.

She went back inside the building. She ran down the stairs to the basement. The man was sitting in a chair in the middle of the hallway. He still had his umbrella over his head. Kat stopped ten feet from him. He smiled at her. It was the most evil smile Kat had ever seen on a human's face. The man stood up, pushing the chair all the way back to the desk. He dropped his umbrella on the floor. Kat didn't take her eyes off him. He undid the buttons on his coat, tossing the article of clothing aside with the umbrella once it was off. Kat braced herself.

"I never expected to have my prayers answered like this. Such _power_...such _grace_...you were able to get in here without me knowing. You killed these people without second thought. You...bear _his_ mark, don't you, Darling? Slenderman's..._proxy_, is it?"

"How do you know that?" Kat's heart raced.

"I saw your master a _very_ long time ago. When I was just a boy. I saw him when he took a little girl from my neighborhood. He was so beautiful. Everything about him was _so_ _perfect_. I knew I had to be like him. I wanted to one of his kind. I...have tried _so_ hard..." the man removed his shirt.

Kat gasped sharply. When his shirt had come off, long, wrinkled strips of flesh fell from behind him and hung down to his knees. The man turned to show Kat what it as. There were six of the strips, some flat, some rounded. They hung from the man's back limply. There were scars all over them around the places where they were attached to his back. Kat stepped back from the freaky sight. It was disgusting.

"I wanted to make myself just like him. I'm afraid I can't make them move like he can. That won't be a problem now, will it? You can bring him right to me, can't you?" the man smiled, showing a full set of sharpened teeth.

"No," Kat growled.

"No?" the man's smile vanished.

"No!"

"That's too bad...I didn't want to have to use force."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here you go, dudes and dudettes. Read and review pleeeease! Shout outs:**

**DreamingMyDreams – What was that about suspense?**

**Animeguard - Here's your explanation.**

**How Far?**

"The _fuck_ did you do to yourself?" Kat said in a breathy voice.

Something about her whole situation was very wrong. This wasn't just some man who had had one to many surgeries. There was some sort of energy emanating from him. He grinned at her with sharpened teeth. She stepped back from him again, forgetting why she'd come back to finish the job in the first place. She should have just let the cops have him. Damn her need for closure!

"I have spent my years reaching for the same perfection which your master has his since birth. I have gone under the knife thirty nine times. I have tried to remove the human flaws from myself, even my own blood, but not all of my endeavors have been..._successful_," the man said, walking up to Kat more quickly than he should have been able to.

He backhanded Kat right into a wall. She slid down the wall, dazed from the impact. The man lifted her by her throat. He threw her toward the desk so hard she slid along the floor and smacked her head into it. Kat grunted in pain. She had no time to react as he lifted her again. She was slammed down onto the chair he'd been sitting on before. Kat tried to remove is hand from her neck, but his grip was unbelievably strong. The man pulled the duct tape from her pocket as if he knew it had been there. He held her with his one hand while he taped her to the chair with the other. He used his teeth to tear the tape. Even with he water and Kat's feeble attempts of escape, he was able to finish his deed. Kat almost lost consciousness in his iron grip. He only released her when she was secured to the chair.

"You see...I had to remove as much of or this face as I could. I had to be _just-like-Him_! He has no ears, but I couldn't make myself deaf...I'm still working on that problem. I wasn't too worried about my nose. No, a sense of smell is overrated anyway. The stench of the human race is too much to bear!" he spat, "Ah, my hands, though...They are my most prized works. So many steroids and treatments just to get them like this. Do you know how bad it hurt...to have someone intentionally _break_ my bones and put screws between them to make them longer? Oh, so, _sooooooo_ much pain. But it was all _worth_ it! I got the hands I wanted...but there was the matter of...what does _He_ call them? Tentacles?"

"None of your business," Kat glared at him through the black material on her face.

"Ah...still don't want to talk? Let me give you a little motivation," he turned away for a moment.

When he turned back, he was smiling again. Kat looked around in confusion.

"You pulled the fire alarm, now...there is a fire," the man smiled wider.

"You're nuts. You think a little blaze is gonna make me tell you anything?!" Kat sneered.

The man raised one of his clawed hands high in the air. He brought it down hard across Kat's left cheek. Kat's head snapped to the side with the force of the blow. She looked back up at the man before her with all the hate she could muster. She didn't care that the mask hid her face from him. He clearly knew how she was looking at him. He only grinned back.

"You don't have long before that fire reaches us. All the exits are blocked. No one will come for you. If you call him...if you give me what I want...I'll let you go," the man bent forward slightly.

One of his false tendrils slid over his shoulder to hang between him and Kat. Kat curled her lip. She forced herself not to look at the disgusting thing by turning her head. The man noticed her efforts and decided to reward her with another story.

"Ah, _these_...were the hardest part of it all. I had to wait so long to get them grown. They grafted skin right from my back and grew it in a lab. We tried putting muscle in them, but the procedures always failed. We decided to fill them with fat afterwords," he told her.

Kat tried not to listen. Just thinking about it made her sick. That, or the smell of smoke was getting to her. She tugged at her bonds, slowly starting to get free. The man didn't notice as he began to pace. Kat searched the floor for her knife. If she could get free she'd only have to make one short leap for it.

"You really think...cutting yourself up...and hurting people will make you like him? You really believe he'd give a _damn_ about you?! Let me tell you something. You aren't even worthy of having him kill you!" Kat snarled at him.

Her punishment for her outburst was a punch to the diaphragm. All the air left her lungs in a rush. The man began to pace further and further back and forth. Kat fought to breathe while still trying to get free. The fire was getting closer. She could smell the smoke strongly now. She got one arms free while he wasn't looking.

"Your...name..." she wheezed.

"My name? I forgot it long ago. I knew no human name would suit what I was going to become. You may call me Glen...if you must call me anything. You're running out of time, by the way. Call Him," Glen said.

"No," Kat got her other her hand free just before he stalked back over to her.

Glen punched her hard across the mouth. Kat immediately tasted blood. She yanked the tape from her legs and pounced the man. She tackled him to the ground. He was startled just long enough for her to go for her knife. Glen stood back up, staring at her with his creepy as all hell smile.

"So smart...so strong. It's no wonder He chose you. I'd really hate to have to harm you much more. He must value you as a proxy. Am I right?" Glen asked.

Kat said nothing. She stood poised and ready to attack. This man shouldn't have been so strong, not matter how you diced it...or him. He was too small for steroids to have been the answer. He was making no effort whatsoever to guard himself. Kat knew that was a bad sign right off.

"Call him," Glen said.

Kat said nothing. Glen sighed deeply before charging her. He knocked the knife from her hand once more. He threw her over the desk into the wall. Kat couldn't move fast enough to escape him now. He grabbed her and slammed her head into the desk. Blood gushed from the wound above her eyes. Kat could feel her boss' tension. She silently begged him not to come to her, no matter how bad it looked. She was smashed into another wall then a door. Glen grabbed her ankle. He yanked her back out into the hallway. Taking her by the throat again, he pressed her against the wall. He held her there until she could stand on her own. The mask was ripped from her face in a swift movement. Glen was clearly angry now.

"If you won't call him, I'll force him to come _save_ you!" he growled, his sharp teeth gleaming.

The fire had made it to the basement now. Kat could see it at the end of the hall. In just minutes, water or not, they would be engulfed in flames. Glen pulled her away from the wall. He grabbed her ribcage in one hand and slammed her over and over again into the wall. Plaster started to break away, falling to the flooding floor. Kat cried out in pain.

"Call Him!" Glen demanded.

Kat kept silent. This angered him even more. He slammed her faster and faster into the wall. Kat yelped each time. She couldn't tell if she felt more like passing out or throwing up. Glen became more furious with each second that she refused to speak. He set her down. He began to wail on her with punches all over he upper body and head. Kat couldn't even move to cover her face from the assault.

The flames got closer. She could sense Splendorman and her boss somewhere outside. Maybe Ria was back. Maybe Ethan would be ok. Maybe if she died, this freak would die, too. He'd have to leave the building eventually. When he did, Slenderman was sure to kill him, if the others didn't first. Kat blacked out for a moment under his vicious blows.

"Call Him! Call Him! Call HIM! CALL HIM! CALL HIM! CALL HIM! CALL HIM! CALLHIMCALLHIMCALLHIMCALLHIM ! CALL HIM RIGHT NOW! CAAAAAAAALLLLLL HIIIIIIIIM!" Glen screamed, his voice warping in his throat.

He raised his hand again. This time his claws were ready to kill. Kat looked up at him through puffy, bloody eyes. She made a sobbing sound. There was only one thing she could do. Whether it would work or not was the question. She had no time to think about it. He was sick of her. If she didn't do what he wanted, she was dead.

"A-Al...Alright..." she gagged.

"Finally..." Glen lowered his hand.

He snatched up the front of Kat's jacket. He held her up at eye level.

"Call...h

im," he hissed.

Kat struggled to make her throat work. Glen gave her a little motivation by slicing the length of her arm with a claw. Kat screamed.

"Call him!" he growled forcefully.

Kat took a beep breath before screaming, "RAMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!"


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: So I hear you no like cliffhangers. Bwahahahahaha! Yeah, that last one in Slender What? Was a doozy. And this is why reading both stories is essential to not getting confused. Anyway, hope this make up for the tears and blood I drew. Shout outs:**

**DreamingMyDreams – I'm beginning to think you're the only person who like this story enough anymore...lol. I guess you could say you're *puts on shades* The Only...(one) hahahahaa**

**In Good Hands**

"Clear!"

That was the first thing Kat heard before she fully awoke to the world again. Her eyes snapped open to take in her no longer flaming surroundings. She tasted plastic in her mouth. She could feel the tiny, stiff pain of a needle in her arm and a burn on her exposed chest that told her just how they'd brought her back from the brink. Kat's eyes traveled as far as their sockets would allow. All the could see were the medics shocked faces staring down at her as they worked. She could hear the sounds of people shouting and sirens. They were outside of the building. Kat didn't have to wonder how she'd gotten out. She knew Ramel would help Ria and save her.

Kat heard Ria's voice cheering along with Don and Ethan's. She heard a new voice mixed in as well. Kat closed her eyes in an attempt to listen to them over the noise. When she opened them again Ramel was staring upside down at her from above her head. She half smiled around the annoying tube in her mouth. He smiled back then disappeared.

"I'll go with her, you need to go to the hospital, too, Brat!" Don's voice became louder.

"Alright, let's go!" the male medic said, helping Don in.

Don's face came into view on Kat's left. He smiled through tears at her. Kat knew better than to attempt to smile again. Instead she winked at him. Not soon enough, the medics removed the tube from her throat. They replaced it with an oxygen mask that covered her nose and mouth. Kat didn't resist. Her lungs burned from all the smoke she'd inhaled. She lay in silence for the entire ride to the hospital. Don asked a few questions of the medics here and there, but was otherwise silent as well. He held Kat's hand gently in his. Kat wondered why he was being so soft until she felt a familiar sting. She must have been burned. The scars from her last burn had only just started to go away, too.

Upon arrival at the hospital, Kat had to close her eyes. The lights in the emergency room were too bright. After the short time of peace and quiet in the ambulance all the voices shouting back and forth were too much. Kat found she was waking up again before she knew it. She was in a small room surrounded by a colorful curtain. She could hear her friends just on the other side of it. Don's jacket was resting on the back of a chair on her side of the curtain. Kat turned her head toward the voices. They must have put her and Ria in the same room. Kat could hear a stranger's voice saying goodbye.

"Hey," Kat called hoarsely.

The curtain moved back a little, revealing the stranger who was just about to leave. Don and Ethan popped up at his sides quickly. They both grinned like madmen. The man stared at Kat with an odd expression for a moment. Kat stared back, wondering who he was. He smiled softly at her. Kat didn't smile back. The smile on his lips hadn't reached his eyes.

"Get well soon," he said as he walked out.

"She's awake?" Ria's voice called.

"Yeah," Don shut the door while Ethan pulled the curtain away from around Kat's bed.

Kat could see Ria to her right. Ria looked as healthy as ever, just a little tired. Kat smiled over at her.

"You really like to walk on the wild side, don't you?" the girl laughed.

"Yeah...born to be wiiii-illld..." Kat croaked.

Everyone laughed. Kat attempted to sit up but had forgotten her earlier beating. She looked down at her bandaged and stitched body. Kat tried to pull aside her gown to inspect the damage, but Don and Ethan grabbed her hands.

"You...don't wanna do that," Don said.

"Why not? It's my body, I wanna see what's up," Kat tugged her hands free.

"Kat, he broke one of your ribs, bruised the rest, cut you up pretty good, and poisoned you with his blood which was as good as concentrated arsenic. The docs said you shouldn't have made it up the stairs alive, let alone lived _this_ long. They said it was nothing short of a miracle that you survived not only what happened to you, but the surgery to fix that rib," Ria told her calmly.

"Really now? Lucky me. How long was I gone, then? Surgery isn't quick," Kat relaxed into her pillows.

"You went in yesterday. It's three now," Ria answered.

"Wow," Kat smiled.

"Who was that with you?" Ria asked.

Kat peered over at the girl. Don and Ethan were watching her, too. They were all curious about Ramel. Kat supposed she couldn't blame them. If it hadn't been for him, she _would_ have been dead. She took a breath into her still pained lungs. Her breath caught in her throat when Slenderman and Splendorman showed up. Splendy sat in a chair beside Ria's bed. Slender just stood at the foot of Kat's bed. They wanted the explanation, too.

"He's Ramel. My...Guardian. I found out about him when I was about fifteen. He protected and taught me things. I learned to sense things better, like you do," Kat looked at Ria, "I can't tell you how many times he saved my sorry ass. He was teaching me things to get me ready to be somewhat like him. To be a guardian for someone else one day...but I guess things are different now. It's been a long time since I last saw him. He takes long times in between visits to let me learn and grow on my own. I suppose now that I'm a proxy...I'll have to see what he means to do now."

"Will he try to take you from me?" Slender asked.

"No," Kat shook her head.

"Why have you not spoken of him before?" her boss asked.

"Honestly, I didn't know if I'd ever see him again once you claimed me. He protected me from strange beings and such for a long time, I didn't know how he'd feel about you taking me. Now I'm sure he's fine with it," Kat smiled a little.

"I have never sensed his energy attached to you," Slender said.

"He's very good at being discreet. The connection between us is an odd one. He doesn't have to be directly connected to me. If I need him, all I have to do is call, and he can hear me. I don't really know how it works," Kat grimaced.

Her stomach growled loudly. The only thing that had provided her anything for her body since she'd passed out had been an IV. Her friends laughed at the noise. It had been loud enough for even Splendy to hear it.

"Fooooooood..." Kat whined.

"What would you like?" Don laughed.

"Not the crappy bland stuff they'd feed me...Is there a Subway nearby?" Kat asked hopefully.

"You're in luck, there are a bunch of greasy fast food restaurants near here, including Subway," Don grinned.

Kat wrote down what she wanted in a scrap of paper. Don and Ethan went off to fetch her the sub and a drink. Slenderman took a seat by her bed. Splendy and Ria watched them silently. They looked as if they were waiting for something. Kat raised a brow at them, receiving a smirk from Ria and a light blush from Splendy. Kat looked up at her boss questioningly. He looked back down at her.

"What's up?" Kat asked.

"They know."

"Know what?"

"About us."

"That's great."

"Indeed."

"Hey, can we get out of the duo-syllabic conversation here?" Ria chuckled.

Kat waved a hand at her friend. Don and Ethan returned a little while later with the goods. Kat chowed down on the sandwich despite the protests of her nurse. She fell asleep again after she learned that Ethan had been cleared to go home and that Ria would be leaving the next day. When she woke again it was very late in the night. Ria was asleep on the other side of the curtain. Splendy snoozed in his chair beside her. He had rested his head on the side of her bed.

Kat carefully lifted herself from the bed to go to the bathroom. She could feel Ramel's presence. He was helping her move without falling or screaming from pain. Kat made it back to bed without indecent. She covered up as best she could with her limited mobility. Slenderman showed up just in time to see her fighting with the blankets. He readjusted her and covered her comfortably. Kat pulled his hand to her with a grin. He smiled back at her. She loved that he could do that without lips.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Been better," Kat squeezed his hand.

He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. Kat felt better right away. She leaned up to kiss him again. A sudden increase in the rooms energy put a pause on their affection. Ramel was at the foot of her bed, watching them. A tiny smile that Kat was used to played on his lips. She held her boss' hand tightly, letting him know that it was alright.

"Ramel...Been a while..." Kat said.

"I know. I was waiting for you to be ready for your next step, but it seems you were more ready than I knew. I wanted to teach you to be a guardian for others...it looks like you found a way to do that job already. Your methods are a bit unorthodox, but I don't suppose they would be very different with or without Slenderman here," Ramel looked up at the much larger being.

Ramel was only about three feet tall. His body was tiny.

"Yeah...can't change the way someone works, right?" Kat shrugged and instantly regretted it.

"It would seem that I can't. Since you have progressed so far, you must know that between your new skills and you Master that I am not needed any longer," Ramel said.

"Yes. I know. Can I still call on you as a friend...when I need you?" Kat felt tears starting in her eyes.

"You can," Ramel nodded once.

"You're just going to leave her?" Slenderman asked.

"To you. You are more than capable of taking care of her, and her you. I trust that I am leaving her in good hands," Ramel's smile grew.

"In _slender_ hands," Kat joked.

Ramel laughed a little bit, "There is one more thing I'd like to do before I go. A parting gift, if you will."

"Oh?" Kat blinked.

Ramel snapped his little fingers. Kat felt a strange sensation wash over her. There was a faint hiss coming from the parts of her that were stitched. The pains and burning she felt in her lungs and wounds left her. She stood up from her bed quickly, noting that it didn't hurt to do so. She tore off the bandages that covered most of her torso. The stitches were all gone. The cuts sealed. The rib that had been broken was perfectly whole again. The bruises were dark as ever, but they didn't hurt so much. Kat and Slender both looked at Ramel in shock.

"I don't think it would be wise of you to be stuck here for too long. You saw the agent," Ramel's smile faded a bit.

"Yeah, what's up with him?" Kat asked, sitting back on the bed.

"I'm not sure, but be wary," Ramel said, "I must go now. Take care of yourself...and your master."

"I will," Kat said to his fading form.

The room went silent again. Slender sat on the side of Kat's bed. Kat leaned comfortably. She was happy in a bittersweet way. It looked like things were going to be alright again. She nudged her boss with her knee. She leaned over her, looming above her like a dark cloud. He supported himself with his arms on either side of her head. Though the bed should have creaked under their combined weight, it seemed as if he was light as a feather. Kat reached up for him. The best she could do was grab his tie. She gave it a gentle tug at first. He didn't budge from his place over her. Kat saw a hint of a smile begin on his blank face. She gave the tie another, harsher yank. He came down close enough for her to lean up and kiss.

Kat kissed him sweetly where his lips would have been. He pressed back on her in an eager manner. Kat wrapped one arm around behind his neck. She used her other to keep a hold on his tie. Slender split his mouth open after a few moments. His tongue came out to taste her and was met with her own. Kat pulled him closer to her. He had to move his legs over either side of her like he had done with his arms. He lowered his body close to hers, keeping them from touching, but close enough to let her feel the warmth. Kat stopped kissing him. She looked up at him.

"You're not upset with me?" she asked.

"No...I was afraid for you. I thought that man might have gotten the better of you-"

"He technically did."

"When Ria called for me to go after you...you weren't breathing. I got you out of the building. I watched them try to revive you. I thought it might have been in vain. I went back inside to finish the job..." Slender told her.

"You went in?!" Kat breathed.

"Yes, but the man had died before I reached him. When I came back out your eyes had opened. I followed you here. I watched every step of the treatments and procedures. You slept for so long..." Slender put a hand to the side of her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Kat nuzzled his hand.

"It's alright now. You can leave here tomorrow," he sighed.

"Can we take a vacation now?" Kat asked, "We were supposed to take some time off, but then that shit with John happened and now this. I think we should have like a week or two to just chillax," Kat pouted.

"Very well. I need some time to break away from so much drama anyway."

"_I'm_ drama..." Kat realized aloud.

"No...Well...You get involved in drama, but I would not have it any other way. You simply keep proving your strength," her boss leaned down for another kiss.

"It's nice to know that even you have a soft side," she whispered.

"Not for just anyone..." he whispered back.

Kat was going to kiss him again, but he flew off of the bed and back into the chair in a flash. Kat sat up to see what was wrong. Splendy poked his head around the curtain, thus killing the question before she could even ask. Kat gave him a small smile. He smiled widely back.

"What are you doing up so late?" Splendy asked.

"Just woke up...Go back to sleep, cutie," Kat said.

"Alright. Goodnight, Kat. Brother," Splendy nodded to the latter.

"Night," Kat yawned.

Slender remained silent. He'd closed his mouth up once again. Splendy just smiled and disappeared back to Ria's bedside. Kat laughed silently. Her body shook painfully with her efforts to contain the giggles. Slender stared at her like she'd lost her mind. She looked up at him grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" her boss asked.

Kat propped herself up on one arm. She pulled his tie to bring him close to her. She kissed him where his nose would have been. He kept staring at her, slightly tense. Kat let go of his tie as she fell back onto the pillows. Despite the urge to stay awake with him and ravage his mouth, as he seemed to want to do to her, she fell asleep soon enough. Slenderman ran his fingers through her hair while she slept. He scraped his nails lightly over her scalp. Kat squirmed as he did so. She settled after a few minutes, whimpering quietly. Slender continued his ministrations on her head. When the sun rose he and his brother vanished from the room. Kat and Ria woke before either of the nurses assigned to them could check on them.

Kat hopped out of bed, ignoring the sting from the bruises Ramel had left behind. Ria watched her with a shocked expression on her still tired face. Kat found her clothes in a cheap wooden cabinet. She dressed in the small bathroom connected to their room. Ria watched her go about the room gathering the things the nurses had put aside for her.

"How are you moving?" Ria asked.

"Ramel fixed most of me up last night. I need to get out of here before the doctors can see what happened. I can't explain away a broken bone and stitches just disappearing," Kat pulled on her jacket.

"Don't you get warm in that?" Ria asked.

"Eh, I don't spend too much time in it. Boss says I gotta go get some new clothes, though. Doesn't want me getting heat stroke," Kat rolled her eyes.

"Why do you still call him that?" Ria raised an eyebrow.

"Because that's what he is. Unless we are in a strictly between me and him situation, and it's _that_ kind of moment, I shall call him Boss," Kat said.

"Ah, keeping it _professional_?" Ria smirked.

"In a sense," Kat shrugged.

Kat hugged Ria once she was ready to go. She made her way quickly to the desk down the hall to retrieve any forms or bills that they would have for her. The nurses and a couple doctors tried talking her into going back to her room, but she refused. It took almost a half hour for Kat to convince them that there was no way they were getting her back to bed. She reminded them that she had every right to deny medical attention, whether they had their oaths or not. Kat's stubbornness won out in the end. She was given her papers and the bill with as much fuss and protest as each person could muster.

Kat grinned to herself on the way out the door. She was going to finally get her boss to take a vacation. She was well enough to move on her own. Ria and Ethan were both alright, and Don hadn't suffered a heart attack from fear. All was looking rather sunny in a figurative sense. The sky above was cloudy and gray. Kat loved gray days, especially in summer. She smiled up at the sky as she walked. Kat bumped into someone after a few steps. She looked back down at the man she'd nearly knocked over.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"It's alright, I-" the man stopped mid sentence.

He was the one who had been on her room the day before. The F.B.I. agent as her friends told her. Kat smiled and sidestepped around him. She walked as quickly as she could away from the man. Her bruised muscles cried out for her to slow down though Kat knew she couldn't. She'd been warned about that man by her now ex-guardian. The way he'd looked at her had plain freaked her out. It was like he knew something about her. How could he know anything about her? She'd never seen him before, had she?


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: If you have been on devianart and seen the latest pic I put up, you may be dreading this chapter. If you have not, and feel like you want to, go on over and take a look-see. Don't hate me guys. Shouts outs:**

**cyndermetaknight – Lol, if only right?**

**FreeancerRiley – Thank you, nice music, lol.**

**SixxEclipses – Yeah, about them cuddles...**

**DreamingMyDreams – I don't know who I want to kill off, but it'd be dumb of me to cut the main character so soon. You'll have to decide later whether or not you like Aldrich Hobbes. I love his name!**

**Animguard – You are one of my fave people to fak with here. I love distressing you with cliffhangers and such.**

**SanguineRose – I always have time for reviews. They are why I continue. And thank you. As for opening his mouth, he kinda just splits it open by moving his jaw to open the skin. It doesn't hurt him.**

**His Torture**

Kat didn't have to wait long for her boss to find her and take her away back to the cabin. He let her go to take a shower and get into some clothes that didn't smell like smoke and blood. Kat took her time cleaning herself. She dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, feeling slightly awkward without her jacket. She made her way into the living room where Slenderman had prepared her a meal at the table. He was waiting patiently in his usual chair. Kat smiled as she passed him.

She sat at the table and demolished the food he'd made. Who knew he could make grilled cheese taste so amazing? Kat thanked him with a kiss on the head. He rubbed her cheek gently. Though Ramel had done a good job of fixing her up, there were bruises on her still from having her head smashed into things. Kat tugged at his hand to get him out of the chair. She took him outside.

"When does the vacation begin?" she asked, starting off for the woods.

"Tomorrow, I suppose. I want you to rest a little longer before we do anything else," he said, following her.

"Aw..." Kat pouted.

They walked on for a short while side by side. Slender was silent as they strolled. Kat looked all around her as if it were her first time in the now familiar woods. She hadn't realized how much she could miss this place in such a short time. She hated hospitals more than ever now. All that sterile technology and white walls was enough to make her sick. Kat laughed to herself at the slight pun. Slender looked down at her curiously. She was unusually quiet, though he had attributed that to her injuries. The laugh had taken him by surprise. Nothing funny had happened, so what did she have to laugh about? Surely not the recent events.

"What?" Kat looked up at him.

"Why did you laugh?" he asked.

"Eh, it's nothing. Stupid pun," Kat laughed again.

"Strange thing..." Slender commented, touching the top of her head.

Kat was going to say something back to him but he jerked suddenly, whipping his head to the left. Kat jumped a little at his sudden action. He sighed heavily. Kat cocked her head as he leaned down to her. He cupped her chin in his hand.

"I have to go for now, one of mine is calling me. I'll be back as soon as I can. Behave," he said, disappearing.

"Chyah right...Behave," Kat laughed to no one.

Kat immediately schemed up a way to get into trouble, despite the voice in the back of her mind telling her not to piss her boss off right before vacation. She headed to the rocks that she and Splendorman had hung out on. As she began to climb, her muscles ached in protest. She grunted and clutched her bruised ribs. Kat sat on the low rock to assess herself and her situation. She was alone, in pain, bored, and wanted to do _something_. She looked around at the trees. There were many tall ones with branches she could reach it she could make it to the highest rock. She pushed herself to climb and ignore the pain. The further she went, the better she felt.

"Just needed a little work out is all," Kat smirked.

Kat got herself into the nearest tall tree she could. She heaved her self up a few branches before she had to stop. She sat on the branch she was on for a little while to rest. She tried not to think about Glen or the detective. She imagined what she'd being doing on her vacation with the boss. Would he take her to meet the other proxies? Maybe he'd just chill with her at the cabin, that would be nice. Perhaps he's take her away to another country. She'd settle for another state. Hawaii would be best.

Kat kept imagining the places they might go and the things they might do while she climbed. She made it half way up the tree and had to pause again. She'd made it up to a vary large branch. She could lay down on it safely if she wanted. Kat sat against the tree's trunk. She looked around the new, higher up world. She hadn't been resting for long when sudden sounds of footfalls and snapping came from her right. She stood up quickly. The footsteps sounded like they were very close, but that made no sense, as she was so high in the tree. She braced herself for whatever was about to appear.

Someone came around the trunk of the tree suddenly, startling her. Kat gasped and threw the hardest kick she could. Her foot landed squarely in Slenderman's cheek. He fell from the tree to the ground below. Kat felt her heart stop in her chest. He had shrunken a slight bit on the way down, thus making the impact look a great deal worse. He didn't get up when he landed. He didn't so much as twitch. Kat screeched and nearly fell out of the tree herself in her hurry to reach her unconscious boss.

"Slenderman! Boss! Oh, GOD, I'm so sorry!" Kat ran to him once her feet hit the ground.

Kat fell to her knees at his side. She shook his shoulder lightly, scurrying back to avoid being strangled by him. He did not stir, however. Kat crawled back to his side and pulled his head into her lap. His face was angry red where she'd kicked him. There was an ugly bruise forming already. She bit her lips, fighting back tears. She touched the unharmed cheek softly.

"I'm sorry..." she sniffled.

Kat leaned down to touch her forehead to his. She felt very heavy and tired for a moment. Her body had the sensation of falling much further forward than she actually had to. Kat snapped back upright quickly. Her boss was no longer in her lap. She looked around for him and found that she was no longer in the woods. She was in the middle of dirt crossroads. She stood up quickly out of shock. She was smack dab in the middle of an old town. A really old town. The people around her were dressed in nineteenth century attire. There were people driving wooden buggies and wagons pulled by horses here and there. Kat spun about, looking for her boss. She couldn't see him anywhere. She couldn't even sense him. All she could see were the people going about their daily lives as if she hadn't just appeared out of thin air. Kat waved her hand in a woman's face. The woman walked right through her hand as if she was a ghost.

Kat reeled back away from the woman. A cart ran through her. She watched it drive away with disbelieving eyes. She had to find her boss and get the hell out of wherever the hell she was. Kat took off down the street, hoping to get a read on Slenderman quickly. She saw that there was a forest on the edge of the town, which luckily for her, was relatively small. She ran through the woods for hours, stopping every so often to rest and watch the people she passed. Kat eventually passed out on the grass. She couldn't take so much running around with her body the way it was. When she woke, the sun was setting. The sky was painted many beautiful colors. Kat couldn't admire the view if she tried. A feeling of terror and dread washed over her.

She stood up, hearing sounds of shouting and running footsteps behind her. She looked to see what the commotion was. Slenderman was running her way, followed by two angry men carrying torches and other things that Kat knew were not friendly. She stepped into the middle of the path to show herself to her boss, but he ran through her like the woman had. The men went through her as well. Kat ran after them. Slender had been bleeding. Something was seriously wrong here.

Kat followed the men, falling further and further behind as the chase went on. Why wasn't Slender just disappearing? Kat didn't have time to wonder for long. The men caught up with her boss ahead on the path. They threw ropes around his whole body, taking him down to the ground roughly. Kat caught up to them and tried to remove their hands form the binds. It was useless, she just went through everything. No one could see her. If Slender could have he most likely would have told her to get away by now. Kat could only follow the men as they dragged her poor master on the ground at a run. She continued to try to free him to no avail as they went along.

The men stopped in the densest, darkest part of the woods. There was a tiny space with a large stone table in it. The heaved the struggling Slenderman onto the stone and pinned the ropes into the ground with large spikes. When Slender brought out two tendrils to defend himself one was cut by a knife and pinned to the side of the table with a long nail, while the other was nailed twice. He tried again to use another tendril to fight but it, too, was nailed to the other side of the table.

Kat screamed pointlessly for the men to let him go. Slender was growling and shouting things she couldn't understand at the men. The men just ignored his words as they finished restraining him.

"You'll pay for what you have done, _monster_!" the man in a green shirt spat.

"We'll return everything you did to them to you!" the gray shirted one said.

Kat watched in horror as the first man ripped and violently cut the jacket from Slender's body. Kat vaguely noticed it was designed differently in the back of her mind. When the jacket was off of him, the men began to pound him with their fists. Kat tried again and again to stop them. Slender growled, never getting very loud. The first man stopped for a bit, panting.

"Never thought a human could hurt you, _did_ you, freak?! Aw, but just one little bit of poison and you have been made as vulnerable as us!" he bared his teeth.

"I cannot tell how he feels, Jared...cut him some features..." the second man said.

"NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE! LEAVE HIM _ALONE_! STOP IT! STOOOOOP! BOSS, GET UP! COME ON!" Kat screamed as Jared went to work.

The other man held his head tightly in strong hands. Jared slashed away at Slenderman's face mercilessly. He cut where his eyes would have been, stabbing a shallow hole on the right. Soon Slender's face was coming open, his sharp teeth coming out to bite. Jared slashed all over his head. Slender wasn't able to bite him. The other man's grip was too tight. Jared slashed his mouth, tearing the smooth lips into a bloody mess of shredded skin. Slender cried out a few times, squirming and trying to get away. Kat still fought to get a grip on his assailants. She couldn't stand the sounds her boss was making.

"Arthur...do you hear that?" Jared stopped cutting Slender's face, "He can _scream_..."

Jared stood back a bit, giving Arthur a nod. Arthur raised a long whip above his head. Kat screamed before it even made contact with Slender's pale skin. Arthur whipped Slender eight times then stopped.

"Scream monster...Scream like you made _them_ scream!" Arthur shouted.

"_Scream_ damn you!" Jared sliced at his abdomen.

Both men continued to attack him with the whip and the knife. Kat threw punches non stop at them. Her efforts did nothing to stop the torture they were putting her boss through. No one could hear, see, or feel her. She couldn't make them stop what they were doing. She couldn't even let him know that she was there. Kat bawled loudly, feeling herself growing weak and sick from what was going on right before her eyes.

The men stopped for a moment. Kat looked up, wondering what it was they wanted now. Slenderman spoke in a raggedy, pained voice. Tears had started from somewhere in between the cuts on his face. They mixed with the blood that now pooled on the table and ran off of it.

"I...never...hurt them..." he rasped.

"_Lies_!" Arthur resumed whipping him.

"You _killed_ them!" Jared cried hoarsely, stabbing Slenderman in the stomach.

Kat screamed again.

"I...never hurt them..." Slender sobbed.

Kat fell to her knees. Her eyes burned from all the tears, but she couldn't close them. She couldn't look away. If she did, they might kill him and she wouldn't see it coming to try to stop it. Not that she'd be able to. She couldn't take it. The sound of him crying...she'd never expected to hear it. It broke her heart.

"LIAR!" both men screamed, attacking him again.

"I never hurt them!" Slender began to scream in pain every time the whip or knife came down on him.

"_STOP IT!_" Kat screamed from the ground.

The men did not stop. Arthur cracked the whip harder, moving to attack his arms and legs. Jared was stabbing now, clearly meaning to end Slenderman's life. Kat got to her feet to once again attempt to fight them off. She could barely throw a punch at this point. She was too weak from the grief and terror to do much more. Slender was screaming on the table. Really _screaming_. His voice ripped through the trees, echoing far away into the forest and maybe the town. Kat screamed with him. The men didn't pause once.

"I _NEVER_ HURT THEM! I NEVER HURT THEM!" Slender screamed, choking on blood and sobs.

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOP! _STOOOOOOOP_!" Kat screeched at the top of her sore lungs.

She couldn't bear it anymore. She fell forward on the table near Slender's head. She put an arm above his head and the other clung to the bloody edge. She could feel the stone, but not the blood or the poor creature it came from. He could not feel her hand going through the top of his head as she tried to comfort him. Even if he had been silent, he could not have heard her sobs and pleas. He could not feel the tears that fell down from her burning eyes. The men couldn't see her there, they couldn't hear her begging them to stop. Not that they would have. Slender's screams rang right in Kat's ears.

Kat took a breath to scream with him again. She had no time to scream, though. A flash of black and spots flew through her. The men were blasted away from Slender and smacked into trees. The ropes holding her master to the table her ripped away, the nails puled out quickly and precisely, so as not to hurt him further. Splendorman lifted Slender's form tenderly in his arms. He rested him carefully in a slightly upright position against a tree. Kat sat beside her master, sobbing out of relief now.

Splendy was not the way she'd come to know him. He wore a turtleneck with two buttons at the throat rather than his jacket. He had no hat on his head. The changes that Kat noticed most were in his form. His eyes were glowing red, his mouth pulled back to reveal teeth just as sharp and dangerous and his brother's. His tendrils were fully black and bore no bells. Kat watched the spots that had given him color fade into blackness.

Splendorman turned away from his battered brother to face the men responsible for his pain. Jared had his knife ready to cut and stab, Arthur had the whip ready to crack and tear Splendy's skin. Both men moved to attack at the same time. Splendy was far to fast for them. He caught the whip and the knife in his hands, ripping them away from their owners. He wrapped his tendrils around the men like a dozen angry anacondas. He squeezed them to death and scattered their parts around the area. Kat watched the spectacle in a mixture of elation and horror. She never knew her friend could be like this. She'd never even known the spotty man to pretend to be mad.

"B-brother..." Slender reached a hand toward his elder.

Blood spurted from his mouth when he spoke. His hand was so shaky he could barely lift it. Kat looked at him...he was still crying. Splendy didn't look at him. He instead turned to the table and began slamming his fists into it. He pounded the table over and over again, splattering the blood all over and smashing the stone until it crumbled under the assault. He kept hitting it in his rage, breaking it piece by piece. Slender shivered where he sat. Kat watched Splendy for a moment. If he didn't do something to help his brother, Slender would die!

"Brother..._please_," Slender coughed up blood.

Splendy didn't hear or acknowledge him. He continued to beat the table to crumbled stone and dust.

"Broth..." Slender slumped back.

Kat panicked, "SPLENDOR _STOP_!"

Splendy did stop. He turned to looked at the source of the new voice. Slender turned lightly to look as well. For just a second, it was as if they could see her. She blacked out right then, falling away from the scene.

Kat opened her eyes with a sharp gasp. She was back in the forest where she'd been before. The lighting hadn't changed one bit. Slenderman was still in her lap. She shot away from him suddenly, almost dropping his head to the ground. Slender had woken, luckily, and lifted himself up. Kat sat on the ground wide eyed. He stared at her in confusion. He touched his cheek, then snapped his head up.

"You hit me," he said slowly.

Didn't he remember anything that had just happened? Kat got up from the ground, new tears starting in her eyes. She stood up and slammed him into a hug. He jolted a bit out of shock. He was on his knees, so she could easily rest her head on his shoulder. Slender wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed uncontrollably onto his shoulder. She wailed louder and harder than she could ever remember having done before in her life. He held her for a half hour, moving to sit on a tree branch with her in his lap. Kat clutched his jacket lapels for dear life. When the sobs finally subsided and gave way to shaky gasps that turned to shallow breaths, Slenderman lifted her chin to have her look at him. He handed her a handkerchief from his pocket. She wiped her eyes and nose.

"The kick wasn't that bad..." he said in a confused tone.

"The...kick wasn't what upset me..." Kat barely whispered.

Her throat and chest hurt so bad she almost couldn't tell him that much. Slender rubbed her aching chest, making the pain fade slightly. Kat took his hand in hers. She held it tightly. He waited for her to tell him what had made her cry the way she did.

"I...saw something...No..I...went somewhere. In the past...somewhere to a time..." Kat felt the urge to vomit.

She flew out her boss' grip and dry heaved over the rocks. She lurched few times, her body shaking with pain, but she didn't throw up. Slenderman held onto her shoulders. Kat calmed and turned back to him. She held a finger to her temple, no longer able to speak. Slender understood. Kat could feel the odd sensation that told her he was searching her mind. He stepped back quickly, looking down at her with what she new was a shocked expression. Kat would have cried if she'd still had the ability.

"You..._saw_ that..." her boss whispered.

Kat nodded, "I'm sorry," she forced the words from her pained mouth.

Slender took her up in his arms again. He held her as tight and close as he could without hurting her. Tears formed on is face and slid down his cheeks. Kat wiped them away as they came. She kissed him all over the places where the cuts had been. How had they not scarred? They stayed in the woods for a long time, holding one another and crying to ease the pains of the past.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: WARNING, LEMONS AHOY! DON'T LIKE DON'T READ! Hey guys, my apologies for the wait, hope this keeps y'all happy for now. I've been a little off the writing groove here, so please be patient with me. Shout outs:**

**SixxEclipses – Yeah, lotsa feels that time. Have you seen the pic? It's in my DA gallery.**

**DreamingMyDreams – I hate humanity, too. The picture actually came first. I was thinking of a comic, but between the action and the heartbreak it caused me I never could have done it. How'd them kittens work out? Lol.**

**Cyndrmetaknight – I'm actually planning on drawing out the ice cream scene. Keep a lookout on DA.**

**ShadowX116 – Your review made me lol. Get 'em!**

**MySplendy – I try.**

**Dr. Llama – I now have a plan for world domination!**

**Animeguard – I'm a heart breaker, I know. Did I mention that while typing that chapter I had to continuously pause because I could hardly handle the sad scene?**

**Kathryn – Even Slenders has a secret that bothers him. As for the apron, I laugh when I imagine that. Kiss the cook?**

**WeAreAnon – Will superglue fix that explosion?**

**Bonding**

Kat's feet didn't touch the ground until Slenderman had her back inside the cabin. He held her tight against him as if she was going to disappear during the walk back. Kat couldn't complain. She was still shaking from the crying and the horrible experience. When she sat on the couch, he at beside her. It was a long while before he spoke up to break the silence that had come after their tears.

"About this vacation," Slender started, turning to face her.

"Don't tell me...we can't..?" Kat looked up at him sadly.  
"No, we will...I just don't know what to do...I've never really had an official vacation before. I...Where should we go? And what would you like to do?" he asked.

"You're going to leave that up to me?" Kat blinked, "I figured it just meant we'd be sitting around not doing much for a while...like when schools have vacations."

"I'm sick of making decisions right now. You make them this time. If you want to sit around the cabin, then you can do that," Slender said, laying down.

Kat scooted over so she was sitting just beneath his elbow. She looked at him curiously. She'd never seen him lounge about before. She tried to think of what she wanted to do with the time they had off. She still didn't know how long they'd be on vacation. He would probably decide when it was time to go back to the usual routine later. It would be nice to go out somewhere around the world. She'd always wanted o go to Japan or Australia. Maybe France. Kat thought again about Hawaii. That was the place she'd told everyone was her dream home. The place she wanted to spend her life in. She ran her fingers over Slender's tie while she imagined them there, laying on a beach and sipping drinks out of coconut cups. The whole tourist image.

"How do you feel about Hawaii?" Kat asked.

"I've been there a few times...It isn't bad," Slender mumbled.  
"Could...we go there?" Kat laid her torso on his.

She folded her hands flat against him ans rested her chin on top of them. She looked up at him with hopeful eyes. His face was turned toward the ceiling, so from that angle she couldn't tell if he could see her or not. He looked down at her, sighing a little. He put his arms over her back.

"I don't see why not," he said.

Kat popped up, pressing against is stomach for support. Slender made a small grunting noise but didn't push her off. Kat crawled up so her face was hovering above his. He stared up at her. The beginnings of a smile were creeping onto his featureless face.  
"Thank you," Kat smiled down at him.

"You're welcome, though we haven't gone yet," Slender chuckled lightly.

"I know. You've done so much for me...It hardly seems fair. I've done diddly squat to repay you," Kat said.

Slenderman sat upright quickly, taking Kat with him. He held her by the shoulders on his lap. Kat's eyes widened in shock. He put his face close to hers. Kat could tell he was glaring at her. This was not an expression she liked on him...especially not when he was directing it at her. Her old fear of him was rekindled in a second. Kat's heart thumped in her chest as that piercing, eyeless stare bore into her.  
"Don't you _dare_ say that! You gave your life to protect me! You have never once disobeyed or even questioned what I have asked you to do. You haven't complained, or tried to leave me...You gave me your love and accepted mine. You have done far more for me than most people I've ever known. Don't you doubt yourself!" Slender snapped.

Kat didn't say anything. She nodded to show that she understood. For a moment she had been afraid of him again. Now she felt torn between feeling flattered at what he'd said and feeling bad for upsetting him. Slender noticed her mood and pulled her into a hug. Kat put her arms around his neck. He laid back down with her in his arms.

"I didn't mean to frighten you," the tall man whispered.

"I'm fine. I thought I'd pissed you off," Kat admitted.

Slender rubbed the back of her head. Kat relaxed against him, enjoying the sensations that coursed through her body. Everything about his was comforting right then. His steady breathing mixed with his hand on her head and his subtle scent was enough to put her to sleep. She did fall asleep for a short while in his hold. She woke when he shifted to get up. Kat made to move off of him but he stopped her and carried her into the bedroom. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest. She'd involuntarily had a few naughty thoughts run through her head. She tried not to blush as Slender placed her on the bed and crawled up next to her. He removed his shoes, jacket, and tie. Kat grinned widely at him. She cuddled into his side when he made himself comfortable beside her.

"Are we taking a nap?" Kat asked, fiddling with the top buttons of his pristine white shirt.

"I'm tired...That kick did a number on me," Slender rubbed his cheek.

The bruise was fading already, but it was still clearly visible. Kat felt guilt wrench her stomach again. She sat up and kissed the bruise gently. She rubbed it with her thumb, hating herself for having done such a thing to him. Slender turned his head just in time to catch her lips as she was going to kiss his cheek again. Kat closed her eyes and kissed him eagerly. She'd wanted to show him more affection, but with all the drama she'd been involved in there hadn't been time. Slender opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. It was a very long time before they pulled apart to breathe.  
"We're now going to get any sleep like this," Kat smiled.

"Then...I suppose we should stop," he pressed her head to his chest reluctantly.

Kat smirked against him. She undid a few of the buttons. She opened his shirt far enough to lay her face against his skin. She could hear his every breath and heartbeat with her ear against him. He was warm to the touch. Kat waited for a moment before venturing to open the shirt the rest of the way. He made no move to stop her, which encouraged her further. She moved the cloth off to his side to fully reveal his lithe form to her eyes. He had a hint of a six pack when he was relaxed. He did indeed look slender, but strong at the same time. Kat touched his stomach appreciatively. Slender shivered a bit. She looked up at him, but he had his head turned away. She continued to slide her hands along the expanse of skin she'd uncovered. She kissed his chest and smiled when she discovered the pale pink nipples only inches from her lips.

Kat waited again for him to move or stop her, but he remained still. Kat gently put a finger to one of his nipples and moved it in a circle. Slender jumped almost violently at the contact. He inhaled sharply and snatched a handful of her shirt. Kat paused briefly before continuing to rub his abdomen. She smiled to herself, hearing his heartbeat spike in his chest. She kneaded his sides and belly, relaxing the muscles that had tensed when he'd jerked. Slender moaned ever so quietly as she massaged him. It was a great way to make up for the kick.  
"You should let me give you a back massage sometime," Kat mumbled.

"I don't feel like rolling over right now," he whispered back.

"You don't have to," Kat said.

She continued her exploration of his exposed body. Being the pervert that she was, she couldn't help but grin when she became bored and looked down at the belt buckle that lay between her and further exploration.

"I'm so curious," Kat fought not to laugh.

"I can tell," Slender's voice sounded almost distant.

"What's under there?" Kat tugged the belt buckle, lifting it and the belt, along with his pants up just a bit.

Slender's hand shot to hers and grabbed it. Kat listened to his rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing. She lifted her head to look at him again. He looked back down at her. There was a hint of a blush staining his cheeks. Kat smiled inwardly in triumph.

"Now now..." he said, sounding far less serious than he would have liked.

"What?" Kat asked innocently.

"Don't..." he replied.

It sounded like he was almost begging her. Kat sat up and climbed on top of him. She straddled his stomach carefully. He held her hands in his. Kat leaned down to kiss him again quickly. She slid back on him so that she was resting her hips just above his and her chest was pressed to his sternum. Slender watched her curiously, keeping her hands held in his to ensure that she wouldn't attempt to undo his belt or anything else in that vicinity. Kat didn't bother trying to take her hands away. She lowered her head to kiss his chest and nuzzled the warm skin. Slender jolted a little bit at first. He soon relaxed until he felt her lips graze his nipple lightly. He gasped when her tongue tasted him there and groaned when her teeth nipped him. Kat delighted in his reactions.

He tightened his grip on her hands while she continued to lick and nip him. Kat scooched up to get at his neck, earning more moans ans groans from him. His hands came off of hers to reach into her hair and scratch lightly at her scalp. Kat shivered slightly. She kissed all over his neck and shoulders. She could hardly believe he was just letting her do this to him. It wasn't long before he flipped them both over. He rested a knee on either side of her hips and a hand on either side of her head. Kat pressed her hands to his chest and smiled charmingly up at him.

"You...should stop..." Slender said, his voice shaky.

"Why?" was Kat's response.

Slenderman shook his head, groaning. He knew he had to exercise control with her. Besides the fact that he could easily hurt her, he wanted to consider her past and what had happened in Bemus  
Point. He could do more than physical damage to her if he made the wrong move. Kat didn't really care at that moment what happened. She felt safe and happy with him. That was something no one had been able to give her before. She trusted him and she knew he could trust her.

Slender leaned down to kiss her once again. His tendrils came out to pull her shirt up. Kat leaned up to let him remove the clothing from her. He rubbed her stomach and chest for a few agonizing moments. Kat's breathing hitched when he reached to remove the black sports bra from her. She allowed him to take it off with no resistance or complaints. Slender stared at her for a long time, just rubbing her flesh with his long fingers. Kat felt her face heat up under his stare. She pulled him against her and exhaled slowly. Their skin felt wonderful pressed together. Slender, who was loving the feeling as well, put his arms under her shoulders and hugged her close to him.

He nuzzled her neck lovingly for a little while, but a heat burning inside him caused him to lick and nip at her neck. Kat reacted by shivering and whimpering quietly. Slender wanted to hear more of this. He kissed down her shoulders, past her collar bone, and to her breasts. He gave her nipples the same treatment she'd given his. By this time Kat was heatedly kneading his shoulders, encouraging him.

Slender pulled away again to look at her, "Kat...Stop me now..."

"_No_ way," Kat shook her head.

Slender groaned loudly. His strength was fading fast. He couldn't hold out against his body's growing need for too much longer. Kat knew what was on his mind. She smiled up at him. Her heart beat faster than before knowing that he was restraining himself for her. She pulled him into another kiss. The kiss was a distraction from her hands which moved to his belt and undid it before he could react to what she was doing. His tendrils moved to her wrist but didn't stop her. Kat unbuttoned then unzipped his pants, pulling the material aside. She didn't pull them down at all. She wanted to be careful to let him be as comfortable with what was happening as she was. Slender kissed her neck again as her fingers slid into his pants, feeling out his hips and moving lower by the second.

"Slenders goes commando..." Kat smirked.

"It's...comfortable that way," Slender spoke with his lips against her neck.

Kat laughed quietly. She slid her fingers around from front to back under the cloth of his pants. This caused Slender to shiver under her touch. Kat reached lower, listening to him for any signs that she should stop. He only continued his maddening assault on her neck and shoulders. Kat moved her hands further into his pants, sliding one down each leg. She massaged the muscles she felt there and stroked the creases where his hips met with his legs. Slender gasped and groaned. He now had to support himself with four tendrils. She was so close to touching his manhood that it twitched in its confined space.

Kat was just moving her fingers closer to it when there was a loud yell and a whoop from outside followed by a gunshot. Kat's hands jerked back out of Slender's pants much to his dismay. He whipped his head around to face the window which luckily had a curtain over it. They could hear two men outside shouting back and forth joyfully. Kat sat up as Slenderman bolted up off of the bed. He buttoned his pants and fixed his belt. Whoever was out there was going to pay for intruding on his territory and disturbing his time with her. Kat pulled the blankets up onto herself. Slender left his shirt, shoes, and tie behind in the bedroom. He stalked outside, slamming the door behind him in his fury.

Kat stayed silent on the bed. She listened to the sudden commotion from the outside world. The men who had approached the house were both screaming bloody murder. There were two more gunshots then silence. Kat heard the door open and close again. Slenderman walked into the room panting. There was blood on his hands and torso. Small red flecks of the red liquid had made it to his face. His shirt was stained, probably permanently. He stood in the door way staring at Kat.

"I'm sorry about that," he pulled his shirt off.

He began wiping the blood from himself with the shirt. Kat got up from the bed. She walked over to him slowly. Something about that semi-morbid look...him covered in blood and breathing heavily, made her feel more excited than before. She took the shirt from his hands when he's finished wiping the blood from himself. There were red stains on his skin where the blood hadn't completely come off. He hadn't even noticed the blood on is face. Kat pulled him into the bathroom with her. She turned on the shower for him.

"In," she demanded, ignoring the fact that he was the master, not her.

"Alright," he nodded.

Kat turned her back as he undressed. She didn't look until he was in the shower with the curtain shut. Kat waited outside the shower for him. He was clean in only two minutes. Kat handed him a towel behind her back. She was desperately fighting the urge to turn and look at him. Slender grabbed her hand along with the towel she held up for him. Kat twitched in his grip. He released her hand long enough to reach around for her face. He made her turn to see him. Kat's core throbbed at the sight that her eyes beheld.

Every inch of him was dripping with water. He used a tendril to dry himself off while he began to remove Kat's pants. Kat held onto his shoulders to steady herself. Her knees had become rather weak under the pressure that had built between them. Slender got her pants and underwear off quickly. Now dry, he stood to admire her body as she was admiring his. He lifted her into his arms once again, taking her back to the bed. He laid her down on the covers carefully. Kat put her hands back to his chest timidly. He climbed over top of her. Surrounding her with his arms ad legs. He sprouted four tendrils to better support himself. He wanted to have his hands free to roam her body. Slender looked deep into her dark brown eyes. She looked back at him willingly. She wasn't scared or hesitant, just slightly embarrassed.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

The last of his sanity and control was fading fast. It was a now or never situation. If she didn't tell him to stop or wait, this was going to happened without a doubt. Kat smiled up at him. The love in her eyes was so apparent it broke away even more of his waning control.

"More than anyone...I love you, Slenderman," Kat said, kissing his still open lips.

With that, Slender's resolve shattered. He kissed the young woman below him hotly. His hands and tendrils danced wildly over her heated skin. Kat arched into his touch. She'd never felt anything like him before. His hands and tendrils made her skin heat up and tingle with small jolts of electricity. Slender kissed, licked, and nipped his way to her hips. His tongue came out to taste her skin, and Kat whimpered and moved away. He looked up at her. With one look her knew what was wrong. He continued licking her hips and thighs, avoiding her core. So she didn't like that, there was plenty more he could do. Slender moved back up to kiss her lips. He kneaded her breast with his tendrils. Kat moaned into is mouth. He slid one arm behind her head. The other moved down between her legs. Kat cried out softly at the feeling of two of his long fingers sliding into her. His tendrils kept up their work on her beasts and his tongue kept her mouth busy. Kat writhed, the wonderful, torturous feeling making her want to moan. She couldn't moan with his mouth on hers the way it was.

Kat moved her hands all over the flesh on his chest with her continuously played with her with his fingers. He added another, eliciting a sharp cry from her. She pulled away from the kiss to gasp and groan. She smiled at him evilly. Her hands completed their journey to his hardened member. She grabbed it less than gently and pumped him without warning or mercy. Slender pulled his fingers out of her. His head fell to her shoulder. He groaned deeply, hissing now and again as she stroked his throbbing male part. Kat felt victorious for a short while and wanted to do something else to get more delicious sounds from him. She kept pumping him with one hand and moved the other lower to cup his balls.

Slender nearly lost it right there. He was extremely sensitive in that place. As Kat rubbed and tugged on him, his body began to shake. His tendrils were doing little to help keep him up now. He could already feel the tightening in his gut that alerted him to an oncoming orgasm. He quickly and carefully grabbed Kat's hands in his. She stopped her ministrations on him long enough for him to get out part of a sentence.

"I don't want to...not...without you..." he stammered.

Kat understood immediately what he meant. She dragged her hands up his back slowly. Her nails dug in, leaving light reddish trails on hi pale skin. Slender growled throatily. He moved to spread her legs. He rested them against his hips, admiring the view her had of her. Kat whimpered needfully at him. He leaned down to her once again. Their abused lips met again passionately. Kat pressed up onto him, her hot, wet core sliding along the underside of his impressive length. Slender shuddered. He pressed just the tip into her. Kat moaned, wanting much more than that. Slender took the hint. In a quick, fluid motion, he was seated fully inside of her. Both he and Kat cried out together.

Kat panted and moaned loudly, not caring if people a thousand miles away heard her. Slenderman moaned right along with her. It wasn't long before Kat could feel her climax coming. She moved her hips in time with his, making them both grunt in ecstasy. Stars burst in front of her eyes and her climax threw her into a tidal wave of pleasure. Her walls contracted around Slender, bringing him to his climax as well. He collapsed on top of her once it was over. They laid beside one another for a long time, just catching their breath and regaining enough strength to cover themselves with the blankets.

Slenderman pulled Kat close to him. She sighed contentedly in his strong arms. She could hardly remember how this had even started. She laughed quietly when she thought of it.

"Now I _really_ need a nap."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait, loves. Been sick...blah blah blah full explanation is in the Slender What? Chapter 30. I hope it is enough to calm you guys for now, reviews pls? Shout outs:**

**cyndermetaknight – It's totally will be my catch phrase.**

**SixxEclipses – Glad you liked it.**

**Kathryn – since I've watched every episode of My Little Pony now, I read your comment and I laughed, thinking about Fluttershy.**

**DreamingMyDreams – Lemon meringue pie? Lemon bars?**

**OroKabuLover – I'm so glad you like my stuff,I love your writings!**

**Animeguard – Material...**

**Phantom of the Night – Suuuure, you don't review until the lemon. Lol.**

**Glustora – yummy?**

**Two's Company, Three is..?**

Kat's eyes were wide and her jaw slack when Slender brought them to a beach in Hawaii. The sun wasn't up just yet, so the whole place had a strange feeling to it. The dim light let Kat see just enough to make out what looked almost like a jungle and a small bungalow perched atop a high cliff, surrounded by the tropical trees. Kat looked up and down the beach. There was nothing but sand, trees, and ocean as far as she could see. Far away, she could see a cliff that blocked anything else from view on either side of them. Kat grinned up at Slenderman. He smiled softly back down at her.

Slender showed her to a wooden staircase that led all the way up the small cliff side to the little bungalow. Kat raced up the wood and stone patio to the door and rushed inside. Childlike excitement overtook her. Taking off her shoes and socks, she ran around the house at top speed to investigate everything. She discovered a small upstairs with two bedrooms and a balcony that overlooked the ocean from the larger room. Downstairs was almost all one room. The living and dining area were all one, only separated by a six inch step own in the floor. The kitchen was divided by a wall with no door, and a bathroom was tucked in a corner, next to two glass doors that led to the patio.

Breathless by the time she stopped exploring, Kat settled on a comfy, green, wicker couch. The fluffy cushions were more comfortable than her own bed. Slender, who had watched her the whole time with a mixed expression of amusement and disbelief, sat on a matching wicker chair.

"Whose place is this?" she asked.

"Some mas who lives in the California uses this place as a vacation home. He won't be here for another five months. I don't see the harm in using this place," Slender said.

"This is criminal, you know," Kat grinned, "What if someone realizes I've been here?"

"Then it will lead the search for you in a very odd direction. The heat will be off of the mainland. What more could you ask for?" Slender leaned back.

"You _naughty_!" Kat laughed.

Slender laughed along with her. It was very rare that he ever did something so blatantly illegal and dangerous. He had no need of houses the way humans did. His proxies all had their own places to stay. This vacation, however, was a different matter. He wanted it to really be a vacation. He'd promised so long ago that he would take time off with Kat, and now it had to really be relaxing and fun. This house was a convenience and a pleasure for them both. The climate was different than they were used to, but wasn't that the point?

Kat called his attention back to her by waving her hand in front of his face. She was worried about food and such. Surely the owner would notice if things were taken. Slender read her mind without meaning to.  
"As always, you will not have to worry about food. I will help you make sure that everything is back where it belongs before we depart," he assured her.

"Good," Kat nodded her approval

The better part of that day was spent out on the beach. Kat had always loved collecting shells and now her collection at home was looking rather unimpressive. She found all sorts of things along the water's edge that she would have had to go to a store to find back home. They couple swam in the crystal clear water for hours and Kat convinced Slender to help her build a sandcastle before lunch. She explored the local forest with him after they'd eaten and napped. Slender was slightly surprised by her willingness to handle the overly large spiders and other critters that roamed near the bungalow. Kat was particularly fond of a banana spider she located. She was put off when he denied her the pleasure of making it her pet.

Later in the afternoon Slender walked beside her, invisible to the rest of the world, as she explored the tiny island's local markets and scenery. Kat bought some fruits and coconut sodas for snacks later. She and Slender also selected a few fish for dinner that night. Kat had a hard time lugging her many purchases around for a while. When she reached the trees with her boss he took some of the heavier items from her.

"We should have a real luau here," Kat said happily as the bungalow came into view.

"You're not getting me into a grass skirt," Slender said.

"Party pooper," Kat scoffed lightly.

"I am not," Slender nudged her.

Kat laughed. They made it into the house and put their groceries away. They day still had a lot of light ours left. Kat suggested going swimming again, but Slender didn't want to go a second time. She went down to the beach by herself while Slender stayed on the deck. Kat felt safe knowing he was somewhere he could watch over her. She wondered for a moment if he might come in handy during a shark attack. Kat stopped inches from the water. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to think about on a secluded beach that she wasn't supposed to be on in the first place.

Kat got over her sudden slight fear of being eaten, relaxing when she thought back to her trial and the possible outcomes that she could have gone through. All of them were a great deal worse than ending up as shark food.

It was almost dinner time when Kat finally got tired of being in the water. She'd collected pocketfuls of new shells and such. Her whole body was leaden as she trudged out of the gentle waves onto the sand. It always felt odd to go from the constantly moving water to the stable ground of the beach. Her head spun a little when she bent over to catch her breath. When she stood back up she nearly fell over. This wasn't due to dizziness or lack of strength. There was someone tall standing right in front of her. The person appeared to be male. He was dressed from head to toe in black, wearing a black mask like hers, and even gloves. He had on a black jacket made of some very sturdy looking material. His pants looked like the cargoes she had. He had black work boots on his feet. Kat looked him over. How could he wear something like that in this heat? And on sand? More to the point, who was this man?

"Hey..?" Kat panted.

"You don't really look like much..." the man said.

He sounded sort of young, at least around Donovan's age. His voice was smooth and very pretty for a guy's. Kat hardly noticed. She was more focused on what he'd said.

"Excuse me?" Kat felt offended.

The man crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her with what she knew must have been a condescending look. Kat straightened up and gave him a look of her own. As tired as she was, it wasn't sending the same message she'd wanted it to.

"What does he see in you? What makes you so special to him? You look like any other human girl," he said.

Kat noted that he didn't sound as condescending as his pose would have made her think. He sounded like he was just asking her a casual question. Kat quirked a brow at him.

"Are you...talking about Slenderman?" she asked.

"Bravo, way to catch up," the man chuckled.

"Who the hell are you?" Kat asked, getting angry.

"That's my question for you..." the man grabbed her by the throat, "Now...Just what makes you so damn special?"

Kat clutched his wrist weakly. He walked over to a nearby tree and pressed her roughly against it. The branches and leaves blocked them from the view of the patio above. Kat hated that he had come right when she was feeling so weak and worn out. She could barely fight him even with the rush of adrenaline that came to her.

"I don't know what all this 'special' talk is about, but if you wanna know about our relationship I'm afraid that's personal business!" Kat barked.

"Well, it's my business now. You see, I care about Slenderman, too. What makes you think you are worthy of being his proxy...his _lover_?" the man asked, his voice dropping.

"I'm worthy of being his proxy because I've passed every test and trial thrown at me so far," Kat put on a very arrogant smile, "I'm probably the most obedient person he's ever met, save one indecent that couldn't have been avoided. I've done what he's asked of me and I've been damn sure to keep an eye on his well being. Not that _that's_ any of _your_ business!"

"And because you are so obedient, you think you have a right to be in such an intimate relationship with him? You think it's okay for you to get so comfortable with him?" the man asked, his voice deadpan.

"I know it is, bonehead! He's comfortable with me, or have you forgotten that relationships work both ways?" Kat growled.

A long knife plunged into the tree right next to her throat. The man's face drew closer to hers. Through the mask she could tell that he was starting to get upset.

"Why _you_?" he asked, no longer sounding calm.

"Why me? I wondered that for a little while...He wants me...and I want him because for us there's no one in the world that's quite the same. I understand him in a way that I'm pretty sure very few do. I know and understand things about him that he shouldn't have had to learn and go through. I care about him as a person...He's more than a legend to me," Kat growled, "You say you care about him. I call bullshit!"

"Bullshit?!"

"Yeah, _bullshit_! You say you care about someone, but you'd have to have a really funny way of showing it. When people care about one another they don't go threatening the people the other cares about. They don't butt in knowing nothing about the situation and put knives to the throats of the ones the person loves! If you'd cared, wouldn't it have made more sense to talk to Slenders yourself?"

The man's hand fell away from her neck. Kat slumped against the tree when her feet made contact with the ground again. The man backed up a couple steps. The attitude he'd had before had gone in an instant.

"Are you quite done, Second?" Slender's sharp voice came from just behind the man.

"Hey, Boss," Kat rubbed her neck.

"You know me...I can't standby when I feel like something bad could happen to the ones I love. It's been so long...I wasn't sure you knew I was alive. I'm surprised you remember that nickname," the man sounded slightly hurt now.

"I left you on your job because I trusted you to handle it. It has hardly been a year since we last saw one another," Slender snapped as Kat moved to his side.

"Trust...My willingness to defend what I care about...Isn't that why you chose me in the first place? You should have known I couldn't just sit around after finding out about this," the man said.

"I know well how you are. And you should know damn well how I am. I would not take a proxy I didn't think was worth my time. As for my love life, that is very personal, and none of your business unless I _say_ it is!" Slenderman growled harshly.

"I'm sorry, Master. I meant no actual harm. I only wanted to make sure she was good for you," the man apologized.

"If you ever do something like this again, I guarantee you will be punished!" Slender snapped.

The man bowed his head, though his voice was light, "I understand."

Kat had stood by just listening to the conversation confusedly. She had one arm hooked around Slender's leg. He had a hand resting on her shoulder. She eyed the newcomer with concern. She was unsure of how she should feel about him right then. Slender knew him, and wasn't doing anything besides scolding him, so he couldn't have been all that bad. The man looked around at Kat with what she could recognize as a smile.

"I hope you can forgive me..." he said.

"I...dunno. I'd feel better if I actually knew who you were," Kat said.

The man pulled off his mask almost immediately. Kat gasped quietly at the sight of his face. He had short, shiny, black hair, beautiful, sapphire blue eyes, and pink, lovely lips. He had a straight nose and smooth jawline. His skin was smooth and lightly tanned. His smile held just as much charm as his voice. His eyes glittered wonderfully as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry. My name is Jeff, but you can call me Second, if you want to," he grinned.

"Second?" Kat looked up at Slender.

"He is my second in command. If I cannot get to a proxy to give them instructions, then he does it. His orders are second to my own," Slender said.

"Second in command. Never knew you had one," Kat blinked back down at Jeff.

"Oh, really? Ah...I knew Master's love for me must have faded!" Jeff's hand went to his forehead dramatically.  
"Aw..." Kat stepped forward.

"I've been so devoted, so trusting...and he never once mentions me...Why I only _just_ found out about you! Master, what have I done to make you so upset with me that you don't love me anymore?" Jeff puppy dog pouted up at Slender, who was looking scandalized.

"Slenders, why didn't you tell me?" Kat asked, "He's so cute!"

"It wasn't a priority...He's not even supposed to be here right now," Slender said.

"He can't stay?" Kat was already beginning to feel fond of this person.

He had good vibes coming off of him. He seemed to be full of happiness and kindness. Despite the threat he'd made to her, Kat figured that in his position, she might have wanted to do something similar. So he was crazy, that only meant he'd fit right in, didn't it?

"Stay?" Slender looked down at her incredulously.

"Why not? If you guys haven't seen each other in forever wouldn't it be nice to catch up? And he came all this way to make sure you were ok...And he cuyoot! Can't we keep him?" Kat begged.

She wouldn't normally ask him for anything. Not even something simple. Something about Jeff made her want him around. Slender must have agreed at least a little. He acted differently toward Jeff than he did other people.

"Alright. He can stay..." he agreed slowly, "But you'd better behave!"

"I will, I promise!" Jeff cheered.

Kat grinned. Jeff darted ahead of them up to the house above. Slender sighed tiredly as he followed Kat up the wooden steps. Kat turned around to face him halfway up. Since she was a few steps ahead of him her face was level with his. She leaned forward to kiss him sweetly. Slender kissed her back, holding the rails on either side of her.

"Are you alright with this?" Kat asked.

"If you are. I didn't expect Jeff to show himself here. He'd supposed to be in Washington," Slender told her.

"Washington? How the hell did he get here?" she asked, starting back up the steps.

"He has some powers similar to mine. He can transport himself the way I can, instantly. It cost him more energy than it does me. The further he goes, the more tiresome the travel is," Slender explained.

"Will I ever earn how to do that?" Kat asked excitedly.

"Maybe. It takes a great deal more time and effort than anything else you have learned. Are you willing to put in that kind of commitment?" he loomed over her at the top of the steps.

"I'm your proxy and lover, aren't I? If that doesn't say I'm willing to put effort forth, I don't know what does," Kat laughed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Slender sounded offended.

"Nothing bad!" Kat held up her hands in defense.

Slender gave her a look and walked her into the house. Jeff was in the kitchen, finishing the cooking that his master had left behind when he'd come to "rescue" Kat. He insisted on helping with the cooking and even said he wanted to make a dessert. Slender allowed this begrudgingly. Kat got him to sit on the couch until the meal was ready. Jeff joined her in eating, Slender didn't, and they launched into a conversation about jobs they'd each done and the most recent events and trouble Kat had dealt with. Jeff was very interested and slightly offended and hurt when Kat told him about Ria and the others. He insisted upon meeting them. Slender only agreed when Kat agreed that she would take responsibility for any shenanigans that took place once he'd been introduced to them.

Later that night, Kat and Jeff were out on the roof of the bungalow, looking at different constellations. They had plates of cookies beside them that Jeff had baked as dessert. Slender stood below them. He was reading a book and conversing with them intermittently. Kat ended up falling asleep on the roof, leaning on Jeff's leg. She had gotten very comfortable with the young man in a short time. He was very easy to get along with and very willing to please his master. Slender carried Kat to bed and tucked her in. He went back outside to where Jeff was dangling his legs over the edge of the roof.

"She's nice. We're keeping her, right?" Jeff asked.

Slender nodded, "Of course."


	14. Chapter 14

**Add Another**

Kat thoroughly enjoyed her vacation with Slenderman and Jeff. The week in Hawaii was even more amazing than Kat could have anticipated. Jeff turned out to be knowledgeable on many things, including surfing, which he taught Kat how to do. Slenderman stood by during her lessons in the water, keeping a sharp watch for sharks or falls. He normally wouldn't have liked to trust Kat's welfare to someone other than his brother, and even that was a stretch, but Jeff had been with him the longest out of all his proxies. He trusted him.

After the vacation ended, Slender took the two humans back to the cabin. Kat somehow conned him into letting Jeff stay at the cabin in one of the upstairs rooms.  
"Come on. When you're away, I hate being all lonely. Plus, this guy's got mad skills. He could keep training me when you're gone!" Kat tugged Slender's hand gently.

Slender stared out at the trees from their place on the back porch. He sighed. There would be no winning this one. He wouldn't and couldn't be there all the time. Having someone there was better than constantly worrying or concentrating on her energy, which would distract him.

"Very well. But my rules still stand. You are not to wander beyond the chosen boundaries and you are not to go anywhere without my permission, understood?" he held her chin in his hand.

"I understand, Boss!" Kat saluted him.

Jeff had even gone back to where he'd been saying to fetch his laptop, T.V., game systems, and other electronic things that Kat hadn't realized she'd been missing. Kat had spent over two hours just checking old e-mails and deleting accounts. Slenderman saw no need for all of this, but it wouldn't be him using it after all. He left the two alone for the better part o the next week. He'd had enough time off and wanted to get back to the old routine he was used to. Kat was allowed to go into town, but only if she had Jeff and her mask with her.  
By the fourth day of Slender's absence, Jeff and Kat decided to make the two hour trek to the small town that waited outside of the dense forest. In the short time together, they'd made a point of learning all they could about one another. They talked and talked on their journey about anything and everything that came to their minds.  
Kat learned that Jeff was an orphan at birth. His father had died in a car accident on the way to he hospital with his mother. His mother and only survived long enough to deliver him. Jeff had been in group homes for most of his life until he turned twelve and met their boss. Slenderman had watched him for weeks on end until Jeff had gone to meet him in the night. After few more weeks of Slender testing Jeff, he'd made him a proxy. Kat knew what came after that. Training, tests, and jobs of all sorts. She particularly enjoyed his story about a job he'd done in Japan that had sparked a short doujin. Slender had made sure the doujin had been destroyed at the time.

More interesting than Jeff's past was the person he'd grown into since he'd been taken under Slenderman's wing. He was not a morning person, though he did rise before noon. There was almost nothing he wouldn't eat, and absolutely nothing he wouldn't talk about so long as Kat was willing. He was always sweet and gentlemanly to her, even when he stayed up late and went into "zombie mode." He knew how to hack computers and devices of all sorts. He knew how to make simple games, like the Slendergame Kat loved so very much.  
The most interesting thing about the young man were his inhuman powers. He could telelport like Slender could. He could speak to Kat in her mind like their boss did as well. He was amazingly fast and could confuse Kat the way Slender could if he concentrated hard enough. Kat added teleportation lessons to the list of things he was going to have to teach her.  
Kat knew Jeff was learning just as much about her as she was him. He always remembered to walk with her, making sure she went out at roughly the same time each night. He already knew better than to wake her roughly or come into her room too quickly and loudly. He knew what she liked to eat and when. He even knew how to put her to sleep. He seemed to really enjoy running his hands through her hair to make her sleepy.  
The two were so comfortable with one another that Kat had no problem snuggling up to him for naps on the couch or the ground after games or training. She was ok with walking around in her sports bra in front of him, but never her underwear, which he respected. He made sure to at least have a pair of sorts on when walking around the house. This had mostly come about since they had to tend each others' wounds from training. Kat already knew that she loved him. He was like the super big brother she'd always wanted. He was affectionate, caring, smart, and not afraid to tell her when she messed something up. He gave her constructive criticism when she needed it and compliments where they were due. He never roughhoused too much with her outside of training. He had his own feelings about hitting women, especially ones he loved.

"Jeez an' crimeny!" Kat huffed, spotting the welcome sign to the town.

"Whew! About time. Man, Master hid you away really well!" Jeff leaned against the sign.

"I'll say. I wish we could hop a cab back to the cabin. Holy frick," Kat looked into the trees.

She felt lost just thinking about trying to get back home.

"Well, let's move on, shall we? I believe we have a movie place to check out and some supplies to stock up on," Jeff held out his hand for her to take.

They walked through the little town together, eying all that it had to offer. There wasn't much to the place. There was a three block stretch of stores surrounded by two more blocks of assorted businesses and medical offices. There didn't appear to be a hospital around. The houses were all small and homey looking. The people on the streets looked at the pair of proxies as if they were insane. Kat looked down at herself as they passed a shop window. It wasn't any surprise people must have thought they were out of their gourds. They were both wearing long cargo pants and jackets made of denim, much thinker material than was normal for summer months. They were so used to it that it didn't bother them.

Kat spent over an hour pursuing the isles of the video store. Most of the selections were b-rate movies or very old movies. Kat picked out a few horror flicks she knew and a few others she was willing to give a chance. Jeff found some comedies they both knew and a couple newer movies that neither of them had seen yet. They loaded about twenty movies onto the counter, once again receiving funny looks, and payed for them in a bunch of five and one dollar bills that Jeff had. Kat carried one bag and Jeff the other as they made their way to the local supermarket. Jeff told Kat to get whatever she wanted from the snack and candy isles.  
"Are you sure?" Kat drummed her fingers together.

It had been a long time since she'd indulged in snacks. Not including the bake fest she and Splendorman had had on his nights with her.  
"Yeah. It's not like we're going to sit and eat it all in one sitting," Jeff pushed her toward the candy isle and walked in the opposite direction.

Kat picked out half a cart full of her favorites, planing to stock up for a long time to come. She met with Jeff by the soda. He had about half a cart of assorted goods. They put their things together and headed for the register. Kat felt an overwhelming sense of dread take her the moment they stepped outside of the store. Jeff must have sensed it, too. He tensed up, clutching the heavy bags in his hands tightly. Kat looked at him.

"Let's head home. We should get to the trees, put our masks on..." Jeff looked around, "Then I'll transport us back. Something doesn't feel right all of the sudden."

"Should we tell the Boss?" Kat mumbled.

"Nah, not unless something bad actually happens," Jeff shook his head a little.

Something bad did happen when hey made it to the trees. Jeff had his mask on, but Kat was fumbling for hers when a voice called out to them. Kat knew who it was right away.  
"Carissa? Hey!" Aldrich Hobbes was jogging toward them.

"Fuck me runnin'!" Kat groaned, "How the hell did he-"  
Jeff grabbed her arm, "We should go."  
Kat didn't get the time to say anything before she found herself at the front door of her cabin. She was a little dizzy, but otherwise everything was alright. She went inside with Jeff to put things away and discuss their new predicament. Jeff tugged off his mask, revealing a worried face that was almost a unusual for him as it would have been for Splendy.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"An F.B.I. agent or somethin' er other..." Kat shrugged, frowning.  
"Is he the one you told me about that was at the hospital?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah. We bumped into each other in the parking lot," Kat confirmed.

"How in the world could he have followed you here? There's no way he could have traced you to that town. You've ever even been there before," Jeff ran a hand through is hair.

"I don't know. The guy's kinda weird," Kat flopped on the couch and heaved a very long, heavy sigh.

"Was it just me, or did he look kind of like Hugo Weaving?" Jeff smirked.

"_I_ think he does" Kat closed her eyes.

The sun was set beginning to sink beyond the horizon when Slenderman returned to them. He entered to find Kat and Jeff asleep on the couch together. Kat was between Jeff's legs with her head on his stomach. Jeff was propped against a couple pillows. His arms were draped lightly across the back of Kat's neck. Slender stared at them for a moment. Had it been anyone else to walk in the house, he knew that they would both be ready to protect themselves. Jeff looked defensive of the young woman even in his sleep.  
"Rough day?" Slender asked, waking them both.  
Kat grinned at him sleepily, "Yeah, actually. You won't believe who followed me here."

Slender sat in his chair stiffly. Kat sat up, crawled to him, and crossed her arms over the chair's arm. Jeff sat up and stretched.

"Here?" Slender asked.  
"Well, not here exactly. We went into town to get some movies and stuff. It was all fine until we went to leave. This F.B.I. agent showed up," Jeff told his master.

"It was Hobbes, the guy from the hospital," Kat clarified.

Slender looked grim, "Did he know it was you?"  
"I wasn't able to get my mask on in time," Kat bowed her head.

"I brought us back here so he couldn't follow us," Jeff said quickly.

"If he followed her to this state, and even to that town, he will find you here!" Slender stood up.

Kat twitched at the sharp tone of voice he used. She new it was a problem, but what did it mean for her? Was she going to have to move to another place? Were they going to have to kill or hurt Aldrich?

"I'm going to the town to see if he's brought anyone else here. Stay put!" Slender said, more to Jeff than Kat.

They both nodded. Kat gave him a weak smile before he vanished. She looked at Jeff in the dim light. He stared back at her with a mischievous look on his face. Kat backed away from him, slipping over the arm of the chair onto the floor. He followed her, slinking like a cat.  
"You look tense..." he grinned.

"Don't you dare!" Kat got up to run but it was already too late.

Jeff tackled her to the floor in the blink of a eye. He pinned her body down with his legs. Kat struggled to no avail against his superior strength. She begged him with her eyes to let her go. This freedom was denied. Jeff tickled her mercilessly. Kat cried out and kicked, but he dodged her legs and attacked her sides and back. She fought against him for almost two minutes until she heard something and froze despite his fingers torturing her ribcage.  
"St-stop!" Kat said, now serious.

"No way!" Jeff laughed.  
"Jeff! Someone's here!" Kat grabbed his hands, "Listen."

Jeff stopped tickling her, looking skeptical until he heard the cracking of twigs under someone's feet outside. He got up silently from the floor. Kat followed him to a window that faced the back yard where they peeked out into the darkness that was covering the ground. Shadows weren't the only things creeping over the grass from the treeline. A person edged toward the cabin step by step. Kat stared hard at the figure for a while. She nearly gasped when she made out Aldrich Hobbes' face.

"How could he have followed us here?!" Kat whispered urgently.  
Jeff pulled her away from the window, "I'm not sure, but we have to do something about it before it's too late."

Kat and Jeff donned their masks in silence. They crept out the front door to avoid alerting the man to their movement. They made it around the side just as Aldrich was stepping up to the porch. Jeff signaled Kat to run around to the other side to block him. She did so silently and swiftly. Aldrich hadn't even gotten up two of the steps before she was on his other side waiting for Jeff's signal. He gave it shortly and they rushed the man. Aldrich yelped and struggled as they dragged him into the house.

Jeff pinned the man to the floor while Kat found some rope and a bandana to tie him up and gag him. They set him on the couch to wait for him to stop struggling. He glared up at them with malice when they found and removed his gun, cell phone, wallet, and a few other dangerous devices. It was almost ten minutes before he stopped tugging against the rope.

"You ready to stop and tell us what you're doing here?" Jeff asked, husking his voice a little.

Aldrich glared but nodded. Jeff removed the gag from his mouth.

"Who the hell are you?!" Aldrich growled.

"As cliché as it sounds, we're the ones asking questions, not you!" Jeff poked his head roughly.

"Now, who are _you_?" Kat asked.

"You already know who I am!" Aldrich snapped.  
"Aldrich Hobbes, F.B.I. Working a 'special case' supposedly in the area of where the Golden Recovery Center used to be. What the hell are you doing _here_?!" Kat demanded.

"I'm working my case," Aldrich said lowly.

"_What_ case?" Jeff rummaged through his wallet.

"My bosses want me to find her," he nodded at Kat, "But my real mission...given to my by the director...is to confirm or deny the existence of Slender Man. After what I saw today and back that night at the hospital, I know he's real."

"But you can't go back to your Boss without definite proof?" Jeff sounded disgusted.

"Yes. I have to get photographic and physical evidence before the Director will believe it," Aldrich sighed.

"And then what, he sends a bunch of freaks in lab coats after him? Tries to lock him up and cut him open for observation?!" Kat flared..

"I don't know, that part isn't up to me," Aldrich sighed.

"There's a lot that's not up to you anymore," Kat growled lowly.

As if waiting for his queue, Slenderman made his appearance in the living room behind his two proxies. His blank face was scrunched in rage. His tendrils flared wildly behind him, threatening to shred or destroy whatever they touched. Jeff moved to the side to allowed his master a better look at the intruder. Kat stayed put. She knew it was a bad idea to kill this man, no matter how much she'd like to put him out of their misery. They would need him alive for the time being.

Aldrich looked as if he was tor between panicking and breaking down into tears of joy like Kat had when she'd first met Slender. He struggled against his bonds until the tall man's face was but inches from his own. Aldrich stared wide eyed at him for a moment. His mouth opened and shut a few times but he never managed to speak. Slender, however, did.

"You're going to regret this day, Aldrich!"


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm _so_ sorry that it's taking me forever to update! I've been dealing with Social Services lately and they love running me ragged. Anyway, don't fret, the stories _are_ still going! Reviews actually do help me to update faster. Also, if you read the Jeff The Killer fic I did and want me to do another chap, please let me know. I've been getting asked to continue and am seriously considering it now. Next update will be for Slender What? Shout outs:**

**Roxie the Rebel – All will be well.**

**DreamingMyDreams – Yeah, just wait until you see how the others react to him!**

**OroKabuLover – Did I break you?**

**WolfOfLightning – Thanks!**

**Deal?**

Three days after Aldrich's capture, he was still a prisoner in the cabin. Kat and Jeff had worked to put heavy locks on the spare bedroom's door. They'd painted the window black from the outside and boarded it up. Slenderman had hung a bunch of bells and glass bulbs outside the window. If there was an escape attempt, they would hear it. Aldrich was left in the nearly empty room with only a bed and some books for company. Jeff would escort him to the bathroom every four hours. He was fed when they ate and Slenderman spent a great deal of time alone in the room with him. Kat and Jeff knew better than to eves drop. They waited in the living room or the forest until their boss came out. He didn't say anything until the morning of the third day. He sat with his proxies on the back porch to tell them what had been going on behind the locked door.

"I've decided to send him back to his agency," Slender said.

"Wai-what?!" Kat slipped off of her chair into the floor.

"He is going to go back and deny my existence as well as yours," Slender pulled Kat to her feet.

"Um, may I ask how you guys came to this agreement?" Kat blinked confusedly.

"You'll have to ask him about it yourself. I have to go now, but I will see you later. My brother and Ria will be home tonight. Of course, they will want answers. I'll see you in a few hours. Until then, you may free Aldrich," Slenderman disappeared with those words.

Kat looked at Jeff, who was smiling ever so slightly.

"Is it bad that I still feel like things can be weird around here?" she asked.

"No. Weird is good for us. Normal would be a problem," Jeff patted her shoulder.

"Well, shall we go release the prisoner and have a chummy chat with him?" Kat grinned.

Jeff bowed and waved an arm toward the door. Kat laughed, brushing a hand over his head as they went inside. She unlocked each lock slowly, listening intently for movement from inside the room. She heard Aldrich stand up from the bed, walk to the door, and wait for them to open it. Kat and Jeff entered the room for the first time without their masks. They left the door open behind them. There was no need to shut and lock it if he wasn't their prisoner anymore. Aldrich looked at the open door then to the pair of proxies. He sat back on the bed with a sigh.

"So, am I allowed to visit the rest of the house now?" he asked.

"I suppose. So long as you don't go dusting for prints I don't see an issue," Kat shrugged.

"What happened in here? Why is Master sending you back?" Jeff asked.

"We had a talk. Lots of talks, actually. Listen, I'm sorry for scaring you," Aldrich looked up at Kat, "That's not my job. For my whole life, ever since I was a little boy I've heard of Slenderman. When I got older I wanted to stop believing I him, but I couldn't. Something in me made me think he was really out there. It took up a lot of my life and I was twenty-five before I finally gave up on finding him. I joined the F.B.I. and thought I would be able to move on. I was wrong."

"You found out your director was looking for him, too," Kat said, leaning on the wall and crossing her arms.

"Right. He'd looked through my records from school and decided he'd like me to go out and look for Slenderman again. I guess he thought having better technology and a gun would make things work. I stuck to my old ways. Gut instincts and paying attention to new rumors. It was because of that I was able to figure out that _you_ had something to do with him," Aldrich said.

"What, because of the symbol?" Kat snorted, "People draw it all the time..."

"But most people who do so don't steal children away. Even kidnappers leave a small trail of some sort most of the time. You disappeared like magic. That would have been impossible for anyone normal. I looked at the case of your disappearance. I talked to your friend, the one you said goodbye to. She wasn't very helpful, but I knew just by the way she acted and spoke that my hunches were right. I decided the best way to find you would be to find any odd and unexplained cases of creatures or disappearances," Aldrich rubbed his cheek, "That led me to Golden Recovery Center. Your name and description didn't come up in anything I read. I wasn't sure if I was right until I saw you in the ambulance. You'd changed your hair, but I could never forget your eyes."

"Her eyes? Well, they are _lovely_!" Jeff cupped Kat's face and leaned close to her.

Kat smiled sweetly up at him, "Aw, how sweet. What are you sucking up for?"

"Lunch?" Jeff's stomach growled in agreement.

"Fine. Care to move downstairs with us and continue?" Kat asked the man on the bed.

Aldrich nodded. He stood up, waiting for Kat and Jeff to go first. Jeff bolted down the stairs like a giddy child. Kat trailed behind him not wanting to let Aldrich out of her sight. She collected all the ingredients for hamburgers while Jeff pulled Aldrich to sit with him in chairs in the doorway.

"Alrighty, so you found me at the hospital...how'd you track me here?" Kat asked, rolling out patties of meat.

"By sheer luck. I researched towns and locations where your boss had been seen. That one was the twelfth I checked. The claims of sightings were nearly fifteen years old, but I thought it was worth a try. Blind luck let me run into you there," Aldrich smirked.

"Still doesn't tell us how you got _here_," Jeff said.

"I followed my gut. I walked straight from the place where you two last were. It took a while, but I made it," Aldrich explained.

"And then we captured you and made you our prisoner. We should have played dress up now that I think about it," Kat flipped the burgers in the pan.

"We don't have anything to dress him up in, do we?" Jeff sat up straight.

"Boss could have easily gotten something for us. A nice, red cocktail dress, maybe," Kat giggled.

Aldrich blanched at Kat's words, "I'm glad this idea came to you late..."

"Well, we have a little while before we're out of here," Kat grinned.

"Can I just _not_ change clothes?" Aldrich chuckled.

"Fine," Jeff pouted.

Kat finished assembling the burgers and doled the food out to the two waiting men. She made herself a plate and sat on the counter to eat.

"So how does all this work? What exactly are we going to say or do to make people believe that I'm non-existent?" Kat asked.

"I'm going to kill you," Aldrich replied.

Kat and Jeff stopped eating. Jeff dropped his burger on his plate and Kat swallowed the bite she'd taken without chewing. She coughed and choked for half a minute before she could look back up at Aldrich with tear filled eyes full of disbelief. Jeff did the talking for her as if reading her mind.

"What the hell do you mean?!" Jeff stood between the two defensively.

"You know how to _act_, don't you?" Aldrich addressed Kat.

"Y-yeah.," Kat gagged.

"Well, there you go. Your boss won't let anything bad happen to you. He made that very clear multiple times. We're going to make it look like a fight. I'll bring you in for questioning when I go back. Before we actually get there, you'll break free from me and make a dash for it. Your boss will confuse one of the security guards, giving you the chance to get his gun. You'll aim for me, I'll fire at you. With your boss' protection it'll look like you die, but in reality we'll be leaving a fake body behind while you make it out and back here," Aldrich explained slowly.

"What about you?" Jeff asked, an edge to his voice.

"Slenderman said he'll retrieve me a few days from now. I'm not sure what he means to have done with me after this is all taken care of," Aldrich admitted.

Kat and Jeff exchanged a look. They didn't know what Slenderman had in mind, either. They finished their lunch silently with Aldrich and moved outside to relax until Slender returned. Jeff practiced transporting himself around the local woods while Kat sat on the porch steps to watch. She'd been promised lessons after the problem with Aldrich was solved. She couldn't wait to learn to teleport like Jeff and Slender.

As she watched her friend disappear from one spot and reappear in another Aldrich took a seat beside her. He watched Jeff go from high up in a tree to far away on a large rock. Kat's eyes moved from her friend to the man beside her. He looked back at her with a half smile.

"I don't get it. Why the change of heart?" Kat asked.

"What do you mean?" Aldrich asked.

"I mean, what exactly makes my boss ok with you all of the sudden?" Kat turned toward him.

"I think some thing similar to what made him 'ok' with you," he replied.

Kat tilted her head and scrunched her face, half snarling at the man before her. Aldrich smirked.

"You and I both share a respect and love for Slenderman that many others can't quite understand. We aren't silly fans, we're curious humans who are willing to fight for him and help if when he has need of us. You more so than me," Aldrich elaborated.

"Wait...you _love_ my boss?" Kat's yes widened.

"Yes, in a sense," Aldrich nodded.

"Interesting. So, you love Master, Master's using you to protect the one he loves, and I love pancakes. Sooo...what now?" Jeff interjected, appearing in front of the two on the steps.

"Now, we leave," Slender's voice said from behind Kat.

Kat and Aldrich stood up immediately. Slender handed Kat and Jeff their masks.

"You've been on the news again. I believe Ria will have your head if you don't explain," Slenderman smirked.

"Right on," Kat smirked back.

Seconds later, Kat, Slenderman, and Jeff were in the living room at Ria's house. It was decided that Aldrich would wait outside until it was time to go through with the plan. Ria and Splendorman were exchanging shocked looks after having turned off the T.V. They'd seen the broadcast about Aldrich's disappearance. Kat grinned.

"Relax, it's not _all_ bad," she said lazily.

Ria and Splendy spun around to face them all. She gawked at them for a long moment.

"What did you do?!"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: *Falls to hand and knees* I'M SO SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG! There's a whole lot of crap I'm dealing with in my life between job hunting, pregnancies (not my own), and deaths in the family (yes, more than one). I've had it kind of rough and thus my artistic drive and writers block have been going way out of whack. Thanks again to those who are still with me on this! There will be another To Keep A Promise update soon! Shout outs:**

**Phantom of the Night 117 – Take a look and see how plans go! As for the video, once again, I got no support or help and have dropped the venture of it completely.**

**Ariel Hassium – Here you go.**

**WolfOfLightning – No worries, like I said, The Only shall go on!**

**Last Escape**

It took a long time for Kat and Slenderman to calm Ria and Splendorman. They explained the situation of Aldrich's capture and containment while the aforementioned agent stood on the back porch waiting for things to simmer down. Ria and Splendy panicked when they were told about him having been locked in a room all by himself. They panicked even more when they heard the plan that had been concocted to get the F.B.I. off Kat's trail. Ria had Kat by the front of her jacket until Kat was able to convince her that things would be alright. Splendy and clinging to Slender's arm like a small child in worry. Jeff stood by in silence, watching the scene play out with a smirk on his face. Ria looked at him after a while, once her attention was pulled away from tearing Kat to pieces. Jeff introduced himself quickly, and explained his association with Slenderman.

Now, almost three hours later, Kat was struggling against a completely foreign pair of hands. The moment Aldrich had shown his face in the police station, they had separated them. Kat could hear someone saying that he had to be checked out by a paramedic before he could do anything else, even process Kat. Another man, tall, burly, and very strong, was dragging Kat down a long hallway toward a tiny interrogation room with two way glass as a window. He shoved her into the chair and cuffed her left hand to the arm. Kat knew better than to try to bust back out by herself. She was too far into the place, with far too many cops and agents nearby to be able to fight her way out. She was supposed to have "killed" Aldrich and been "killed" by someone else near the entrance. That plan was kaput.

Kat watched the big man stand with his back to the wall directly across from her. He folded his hands in front of him and set his face to a mean look of mockery and daring. Kat ignored him and stared at the glass. She could easily sense when people passed by and stopped to look in at her. No one stayed for very long. Kat rested her head on the table, breathing hard. She wondered if they would allow Aldrich to interrogate her. Would he insist upon it? Would he go back on his word and let them have her? No, he wouldn't dare. Slenderman would have him the moment he was alone for any reason.

Kat couldn't help but grow concerned at the minutes ticked by. Aldrich was still not there after a half hour. The big man hadn't so much as shifted. Still, no one had come in to speak a word to her. Kat sat up in her uncomfortable chair and looked at the man across from her.  
"I-" Kat began to speak, but the door opened and silenced her.

She looked to see Aldrich enter with the chief of police. Aldrich had a thick manila folder under his arm. The chief had his gun in its holster and looked quite smug at the moment. Aldrich sat down after excusing the large man. The chief stood behind Aldrich with his hands on the back of his chair. Aldrich looked over his shoulder at him, then back to Kat with an unmistakable look of disdain in his eyes.

"_Finally_ brought you in, huh? I hear Agent Hobbes has had one hell of a time with you these last few days," the chief said in a voice that made Kat want to punch him.

She remained silent, looking at the agent in front of her for any sign of what they were to do now.

"Let's get on with the interrogation, shall we _Chief_?" Aldrich said tiredly.

"Well, why not?" the chief grinned.

Kat was more tempted than before to reach up and crack him in the jaw.

"If you don't mind, would you please step outside?" Aldrich said, turning to him again.

The chief blinked at him for a moment, "Oh...Heh, victory's got you feeling a little proud, eh? Want to show that you can do it all by yourself, Agent Hobbes?"

"Why not? It wasn't anyone else who found me and fought for so many days all on their own to drag me in here...None of your sorry ass officers nor anyone else was able to even sight me..." Kat grinned darkly up at him.

She decided while he looked dumbfounded back at her that if she was given the chance, she would kill him. The cheif opened his mouth as if to say something, but a raised hand from Aldrich stopped him. The Agent turned to Kat with a solemn look on his face. His eyes hinted at something else, though.

"That's quite enough out of you," he said sternly to Kat.

The chief stalked angrily out of the room. He made sure to snap the door shut extra hard when he exited. Kat sensed him waiting outside the glass with someone else. She looked at her reflection and gave another snarky smile before she slouched in her chair and looked to Aldrich.

"Any particular reason I haven't been read my rights?" Kat chuckled.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, on will be provided for you by the state of Ohio," Aldrich said in a bored tone.

"I don't want no freakin' attorney. Let's get this shit over with," Kat sniffed.

"Very well. Let's start with your father's murder," Aldrich opened the folder.

Kat looked at the files and images her spread out on the table. The reports of the events that had started when the child had gone missing were all there, including photographs of the messages she'd left behind and the burned house. She spotted one picture she'd not expected anyone to have. It was the remnants of the body they had managed to pull from the fire spread on a shiny, metal table. Kat pulled the photo to herself with a smile. There were but a few ash covered bone fragments. Her smile grew and she felt fear and shock from the two outside the window. Aldrich stared at her, stone faced. Now there was a slight hint of surprise and admiration from those outside. They must have figured that Aldrich's time with Kat had shown him things they didn't want to imagine and hardened him against her creepy personality.

Aldrich recollected the papers and photos slowly, "Was it you, then? Did you kidnap the child, break into this home repeatedly, and kill this man?"

He held up a photo of her father's face, Kat nodded.

"I did. I took the child, broke into the house, left those pretty images on the walls, and then...I killed him," she said without batting an eye.

Aldrich nodded, "And why were you at Golden Recovery Center on the night of the fire there?"

"I was looking to score some good shit. I'd heard horror stories about the drugs and methods they used there. I kinda hoped I'd be able to nab something good. It just so happened that my pal had a visit there that day...Good a time as any to scope things out, right?" Kat shrugged.

"By 'pals' you mean Ria and Donovan Kress, correct?" Aldrich sighed.

"Is that their last name?" Kat laughed, "Yeah. I'd been palling around with them off and on for a while...Didn't tell them about the mishap with the old man...but I think they were suspicious."

"Hm. Can you tell me what they were doing there so late at night?" he asked.

"They wanted to get in to help Ethan...We found out that they'd been doing some nutty shit to him in there, talking about the Slenderman and what not. I used that as a partial cover to get in for what I wanted. As it turned out, there was a real freak job in there...Glen..." Kat shuddered visibly.

"The man we found buried in the rubble...He'd had some kind of modifications made to his body," Aldrich dug out another image which Kat ignored.

"Yeah, that's him."

"How'd the fire start, do you know?"

"Glen did it...He tried to trap me in with him...Was convinced I knew where Slenderman was."

"But you don't...?" Aldrich sounded more interested.

Kat knew the tone of his voice was only for show. The two waiting outside were now three. They'd been joined by someone who felt very intimidating, even to Kat.

"No. Slenderman doesn't exist. If you want to find him, get on Creepypasta or Something Awful and look for him. Ooh, better yet, try Youtube. Markiplier and Pewdiepie know a lot about his games," Kat smirked.

"If you don't think he's real, why put one of his supposed symbols on the walls?" Aldrich asked, his eyes flicking to the window.

"Because, real or not, the idea of him is cool. Someone powerful, frightening, strong, invincible? What better to strike fear into a heart than _his_ mark? Why not make someone believe for a brief moment that the impossible has happened? What's more frightening than the though of someone coming for you with a demon at their side?!" Kat laughed loudly.

She felt the energies outside shift to those of disappointment and fear.

"Slenderman may not exist, but there are plenty of demons in this world that do...like _me_...who will make some people's darkest nightmares come to life!" Kat shot up from her chair, causing Aldrich to jump back.

Something clanged and jingled onto the floor. Kat scooted back and looked down at the gold bell that rolled under her chair. Aldrich stood, holding a hand up toward the glass. The door had begun to open, no doubt someone was coming to help him.

"Wha-" Kat bent down to inspect the bell.

Aldrich shifted in his seat. Kat sat back in her seat as well, grinning more broadly than before. Splendy's bell rested beneath her silently. So that was the answer to it all. Kat rested her hands on the arms of the chair. She relaxed, knowing now what the first step of the plan was. If the bell was there, that meant that there was a direct connection to its previous owner. Splendorman could likely hear everything that was going on and was waiting to the queue to act.

"So, is there anything else you need to ask of me? I've already told you that I killed that bastard off..." Kat said, looking to the window with a smug look on her face.

She felt a twinge of apprehension from both within herself and those outside.

"I suppose not. We'll be taking your fingerprints...processing you...and you'll have a court date set by tomorrow..." Aldrich stood scraping his chair back loudly.

As he did this, Kat felt the hand cuff come off the the chair. The bell jingled lightly as a signal. Kat bent her head low and grinned.

"I'm not really cool with that," she said.

She could sense a strange energy in the room. Slenderman's energy had surrounded Aldrich and her for a moment, then dissipated. Kat looked at Aldrich, who she could tell wasn't really himself anymore. His body had been replaced by something else, perhaps a dead one. A copy of his personality stayed behind to control it under Slender's power. Kat looked down at herself. She hadn't been replaced. So, she had to kill the fake Aldrich first. The chief of police, the burly man, and a new man entered the room at that moment. The fake Aldrich turned to walk away, his hand twitching as a sign for Kat to make her move. She didn't waste any time. Kat jumped over the table and slammed the fake into a wall. The three other men hadn't had time to comprehend what was going on before the loud crack of breaking bones filled the room briefly. Kat had twisted the fake's had almost completely around. She glared back the other three and bolted out of the room.

"SOMEONE STOP HER!" one of them yelled.

Kat shoved past a group of men in uniforms and skidded down a hallway she remembered from her way in. Several voices shouted at her to stop as she darted around people and obstacles. Kat waited for the moment to come when her boss would change out her body for a fake, like with Aldrich, but it was taking far too long. She was still there, still evading the many men and women trying to capture her again. What the hell was taking so long? One of the idiots behind her was likely to fire at any moment!

Kat found the entrance ahead of her, but there was no way she could make it out. At least ten men had their guns raised, blocking the doors. She could see cars had pulled up out front to make sure they would stop her if the men inside didn't. Kat halted in the center of the lobby. She heard thunderous footsteps of countless men and women closing in behind her. They all stopped and the sound of multiple guns being pulled free of their holsters reached Kat's ears. She heard a number of safety switches click. There was a long moment of silence as everyone tried to think of what to do next. The officers and agents didn't know if she would move, and frankly, neither did she. There was nowhere left to run. Slender hadn't replaced her with a fake yet. If she ran, and someone fired, she was dead for real.

"Don't move..." the chief said, stepping out from the crowd behind her.

Kat turned her head to look at him, her arms slowly going in the air. He approached her cautiously. After having killed the fake so suddenly, it seemed he was taking no chances. Kat sighed heavily. She turned to face the man fully and heard the sound of jingling coming forward through the crowd. She watched Splendy's little bell roll out from between the feet of the chief. It stopped at the toe of her right shoe. It rolled its way up onto the top of her foot. Kat looked at it as though it was a godsend. She looked back up at the chief who was a few steps away with pair of cuffs. She heard whispering going on around her.

"What the hell is she looking at?" one man breathed to another.

So, they couldn't see or hear the bell. Clever. Kat kicked the bell up into her hand. No less than seven people fired at once when she made the sudden movement. Kat felt almost nothing at first. She looked down at her body. Only two of the bullets had gotten her. One had grazed her ribcage, the other had gone clean through her left leg. The bell in her hand made a long, beautiful ringing sound as the pain began. Kat closed her eyes as he fell. She felt as though she was falling through space. She never hit the floor. When her eyes opened there was nothing but blue sky above her. Kat blinked. Slenderman's face came into view. He was holding her gently in his arms. Splendy, Aldrich, Ria, Jeff, and Don were standing nearby. They were in the small clearing behind Ria's house. Kat's ribs and leg were bleeding down the front of Slender's suit to the ground.

"I'm sorry," Slender's voice barely registered in her ears as she fell out of conscientiousness.

Kat sat up many hours later in thick darkness. She hissed sharply at the pain her ribs and leg reminded her of. She looked at the bandages on her body. She could feel stitches beneath them. After a long moment of silent thinking Kat realized she was back in her bed at home. Slender was not beside her as he should have been. She clambered out of the bed and along the wall until she found a large walking stick she'd found out in the woods some weeks ago. She used it to help her hobble out of the room and into the dark living room. No light came from anywhere in the house. Kat felt her heart freeze in fear. The feeling ebbed away when Slender and Splendy's voices reached her ears from the back porch.

Kat made her way to the door carefully. She knocked a book off the arm of the chair and nearly fell over trying to reach for the door handle in the pitch darkness. Kat had only just managed to turn the knob when the door was yanked open by Slender on the other side. Kat fell forward into his tendrils. Splendy gasped as he stood up, ready to help.

"You're awake!" Slender breathed, lifting her into his arms.

"You know I can't sleep alone," Kat quipped.

Slender set her in one of the chairs surrounding a card table on the porch. Splendy was to her right, and he to her left once he sat. Jeff came running from the yard and hugged Kat from behind. She felt tears slide off his face onto hers. She reached a hand over her shoulder to the back of is head. Jeff kissed her cheeks ad sobbed a few times in the awkward embrace.

"Dumb...bitch..." he sniffled, going to sit in the chair opposite of her.

"_So_ sorry..." Kat rolled her eyes.

"We didn't expect you to wake until at least daybreak," Slender said softly.

His voice sounded sad and almost afraid.

"What happened?" Kat asked, taking his hand to comfort him.

"Switching one body took more energy than I had thought. I believe it was greatly due to the number of people so near you. It wasn't easy to sort out the two of you and not get noticed in some way. I had to make sure there was time to stall before I could retrieve you. When they fired...I had just barely enough energy left in me to get you out," Slender sighed.

"At least I got out at all. Thanks for the help, Splendy," Kat smiled.

"You're very welcome. Ria took back the bell...she's at home..." Splendy rubbed Kat's head.

"Aw...Can't we bring her here?" Kat turned to her boss who nodded absentmindedly.

"She's been nagging me since we departed to keep her posted on what happened to you," Slender told her.

"What a sweetheart. Where's Aldrich?" Kat looked around.

As if waiting for her to ask, Aldrich walked out of the house. He smiled softly at her.

"I was in the library. I wanted to get familiar with the books...Since I'll be staying her for a while," he said.

"Oh really? Sweetness!" Kat raised her arms to cheer, but winced and clutched her ribs.

"Take it easy," Slender commanded, grabbing her shoulder warily.

Kat licked his fingers, earning a soft swat to the head. Jeff and Splendy laughed. Aldrich merely sighed with a look of exasperation on his face.

"I'll go get Ria and Don," Splendy chucked, vanishing.

Kat wriggled into her boss's lap while Splendy was away so that Aldrich could sit. Jeff ran into the house to fetch a couple more chairs for their incoming guests. Ria and Don broth grinned broadly when Splendy brought them to the moonlit back porch. Ria greeted Slender and Kat with a hug. Don hugged Kat as well, but only patted Slender's shoulder before sitting down.

"Glad to see you're alive," Ria pulled her chair between Slender and Splendy's.

Aldrich had moved to sit beside Jeff. Kat rested her head on Slender's shoulder.

"Yeah...Had me scared for a hot minute, but I'll be fine," Kat said.

"Had us scared, too," Don sighed.

"Well, now I suppose you're all wondering why I gathered you here..." Kat joked.

There was a short round of laughter. Even Slender joined in. The tension that had been building since that morning died away quickly. Everyone relaxed a bit in the pale moonlight. Kat took a moment to think about how beautiful Splendy and Slender looked. Their pale skin was perfect for reflecting the moon's glow. A cough from Don interrupted her thoughts.

"Honestly, there is a good reason for us all to be together right now," Ria said suddenly, touching her brother's arm.

Don looked at her, then nodded with a nervous smile. Kat sat up, knowing something interesting was about to happen. Slender tensed slightly. He was holding Kat so she wouldn't fall and preparing himself for whatever Ria was going to say. Splendy looked surprised and almost excited. Jeff and Aldrich remained pleasantly interested. Ria took a deep breath. Don gave her hand a gentle squeeze for comfort.

"Whoa...What are we about to hear? Riaaaa...What'd you _do_?" Kat's eyes went wide.

"I...Well, Splendy...Ah..." Ria stuttered.

"What is it, Love?" Splendy reached to take the hand Don wasn't holding.

"I'm...I'm pregnant."


End file.
